Cheyenne stood on the deck of the Cambridge. In front of her was the override for the main anti-missile system. Her hands shook as she reached for it. This act would save millions, but it would kill her. She closed her eyes. It would be so easy to not do it. A technical malfunction. No one would know and she'd go on living.
She pulled the switch. The noise was deafening and then silence. She stared into the blue sky.
White light pierced her eyes as Cheyenne's head broke the surface of the tank and she woke. She kicked to send herself down, under the pink goo. Her heart hammered in her chest. It was only a dream.
How many times would she have that dream? Would it always be like this? She was starting to have a better understanding what her ex had gone through with his PTSD. Maybe she was even feeling a bit more sympathy for him.
Lights were on in the medibay and through the pink goo she could see Janda and Lana moving around. Must be morning.
She swam towards the side of the tank to check the time and decide if she should get up for the day. Next to the clock they had posted two pictures, her kids. She saw them and smiled.
Her heart hardened against her ex. She didn't care how hard recovery was, she had something to fight for, her kids. If he couldn't see that, if he didn't want to fight to be in their life, then screw him.
She rose towards the surface again. "Lana?"
"Good morning, your life signs are up. Are you okay?"
"Just a dream," she said. "The attack."
"Hmm, that's to be expected. In time, it will fade. You can sleep more if you are still tired."
"No, I am ready to get up whenever," she said.
"Good," Lana said. "Now that we've had you out of the tank, I want to make it a daily exercise. Short periods at first, then longer."
Cheyenne nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that, too."
#####
The Corelean's main conference chamber was a long rectangular room. It was lined on both sides with wide stools that, like most of the chairs they had seen so far, had no backs. The couches Dan had seen elsewhere, on the other hand were often lower and deeper than the Earthsiders were used to. It appeared that the Consortium people either sat upright, with one or both legs crossed beneath them, on stools without backs, or they lounged, sprawled out. But you did not lounge during one of Captain Dowling's conferences.
The center of the conference chamber was empty. The Consortium had not dealt in paper memos for more eons than the Earth had been inhabited. Instead the center was used for holographic displays, when appropriate.
The conference room was meant for the Corelean's officers. This meeting of both crews made for a tight fit. Dan found his seat and took it. He had been appointed temporarily as Acting Chief Petty Officer in Cheyenne's place. The missile command he commanded no longer existed and he wasn't totally sure what he was supposed to do, other than represent his men. Then again, looking around the room he realized a lot of the petty officers must feel the same way. On board the Cambridge they had clearly delineated roles and responsibilities. Now they were at loose ends.
Captain Dowlings and Captain Lannister entered together from the front of the conference room after everyone else was seated. Captain Dowlings was in a tight fitting blue uniform, her hair up in a bun. Captain Lannister had adopted a similar blue outfit, without the rank markings.
Captain Dowlings took the seat at the front. To her right sat another woman with lush black hair piled high on her head. Around her neck was a pair of goggles similar to the ones that Cheyenne had been fitted with. She glimmered slightly, and Dan realized she was only here as a holo-projection. To the right, past the woman was the rest of Dowling's crew. Kavinda, the chief healer was next to the woman. Several more people Dan didn't recognize ran down the conference room opposite him. About midway was Bakala, the quartermaster. He gave Dan a congenial smile and nod.
Captain Lannister sat on Dowling's left and his crew ran down that side in order of rank, putting Dan about midway.
"If we are all here, let's get started," Captain Dowlings began. "I think we will need to have these joint staff meetings regularly, check in with both crews. I should have instituted this immediately. I am sorry for the delay."
"I agree," Captain Lannister said. "We are guests aboard your ship. I don't want any trouble. We have just over three hundred crew, you have almost that many. Six weeks is a long time. A simple misunderstanding could lead to trouble."
"Indeed, I see that now," Captain Dowlings said with a knowing look. Probably everyone onboard had the rumors, that some crew members had drug habits. The Consortium simply didn't use narcotics, benzos or other drugs. Their healers were doing what they could. A few people had confessed to their problem and were being treated. Judging from the surliness of a few of his fellow soldiers, a few were trying to tough out detox on their own.
"Have their been further problems?" Captain Dowlings shot this question down towards her security officer.
"No, Ma'am," he replied.
"Bakala," she said next, "how are supplies holding up?"
"Food-wise, no problem," Bakala said. "Like you said, we can get bulk supplies sent over in a cargo pod. Bulk foods present no trouble. Feeding everyone, no trouble. Your people," he pointed at Lannister, "are happy to get food." He scowled at Kavinda. "Your people are another matter. Janda thinks if a tomato has been off the vine for more than hour, it's lost too many nutrients. Kavi must have a grapefruit each morning. Shavian wants oranges to squeeze himself instead of juice."
Kavinda merely chuckled. "I will speak to them. They understand quarantine as well as anyone. A few weeks on processed foods won't kill them, whatever half of them think."
The woman next to Captain Dowlings snorted. "Tell them I served on the Barthon, building the way station between these galaxies. Six months on lockdown rations, grains, a few greens and Mycobactim. This will not kill them."
"Well, then there are a few issues we," she indicated Captain Lannister with a nod, "want to address. Would you care to start?"
"Thank you, Ma'am," Captain Lannister said. "I have two issues I would like to address, one internal and one involving both crews. I am a little concerned about our sailors over stepping their mission parameters."
"In what way?" his second in command asked. "After all we don't have any real parameters, do we?"
"That's just it, I've had some questions about intelligence. I do not want, and I want to make this perfectly clear, I do not want sailors attempting to play spy, try to find out information about this ship. That's not our role here."
Captain Dowlings laughed aloud at this. "We can send your people the entire schematics. Without the scientific basis to understand our drives, it won't do much good. And we don't have any weapons."
"We've had a few 'accidental' attempts to get into engine areas and navigation," the woman on Dowlings right said.
"Those areas are restricted by bio-ident," Bankim said from his seat. "There is no accidentally getting in. Either you have credentials or you don't. I am not concerned."
"Those restrictions have nothing to do with security anyway," the woman said, "they are safety protocols. Your men must be told this. Those areas of the ship have airlocks. You must have level one space certification at the minimum to be up there."
Captain Lannister nodded. "We will pass that information along." He gave a look down the line. The men nodded. Dan felt his head nod along with the others.
"Now the second concern, fraternization. As you all know, the close quarters on any ship has a way of building intimacy fast. As our men recover, I know the temptation will be there. There are some nice looking women on the ship. But we all know what shipboard romances can do to discipline."
"You have women in your crew, too," Dowlings commented. "Are they not a concern?"
Kavinda chuckled. "I think we might be fighting a losing battle. How do we propose to stop human nature?"
"And I am not convinced it must lead to problems," another one of Dowlings crew put in. "I mean a few hook ups, a little romance, it's just more goodwill, right?"
"I am not worried about what happens when these things start, but what if things go wrong? Ill feelings, misunderstanding," Captain Lannister insisted.
Dan raised his hand. Both captain's looked his way. "Umm, Sir," he began, suddenly nervous. Normally he tended to agree with Kavinda's philosophy, it was fighting human nature. "I was visiting Chey- Officer Walker yesterday. We had a conversation, casual, with her healers, about how relationships work, in the Consortium and in America." Captain Lannister raised an eyebrow and Dan blushed. "My point is, I agree with the Captain on this one. There are potential... misunderstandings. There are some significant cultural differences."
There was a snicker down the line. All heads swiveled. "Care to explain?" Captain Lannister said. He sounded like a teacher that had busted a student passing a note. Judging from the blush on the Chief Munitions officers face, he felt it too.
"Umm, nothing, Sir," he said, looking down, "Just, maybe one of the men informed me the other day that not all women on board are, well, technically women."
Dan saw several confused looks across the room. "What he's saying," Dan said, "is that we don't have either the technology or social acceptance of people changing their sexual organs to match their gender identity, at least not to the extent you do. Nor do we recognize quite so many distinctions between male and female."
"What's wrong with getting a little surprise?" one of the Consortium officers joked.
"Umm, no, that could lead to problems," Captain Lannister contradicted. "Our ethics in this regard...it could lead to problems."
"Would education help?" Kavinda suggested.
"Perhaps," Dan agreed.
"If it were merely a matter of hook ups and potential surprises," Captain Dowling commented, "we do have a prostitute on board. It would be unfair to expect her to satisfy everyone. Truthfully, this is an aspect we simply aren't prepared for." Several eyes went up on their side.
"A prostitute?" Captain Lannister sputtered out.
"Yes, but just one. She's quite skilled, or so I have been assured. But one is not enough, and there's another issue, one I want to discuss. But let's finish this discussion first."
Lannister nodded. "Do we have an idea if things are happening now? I mean you guys have pretty sophisticated surveillance system, or so we've been led to believe."
Dowlings nodded towards Bankim. "Can you speak to that?"
"We don't have an information officer onboard," Bankim replied. "If we did and you could make a better case for the potential problems..." he shrugged. "As it stands now, the nearest office says we are way out of our vested area of interest."
"What does that mean?" Captain Lannister asked.
"It means they don't feel we have a right to know," Dowlings said. "I tend to agree. I don't like the idea of spying on my own crew."
"Of course, I am not suggesting such a thing. I just don't want any trouble," Lannister said.
"You need to understand," Kavinda put in, "that you may have been misled. Our diplomats can request significant information about almost anything on board our ships or even planet side, but we personally have very limited access to the same information. There are numerous ethical protocols in place."
Officer Sutton raised his hand. He and Bankim were sitting at the far end of the conference room, side by side. "If I may, Sir and Ma'am," he said. "Having worked alongside Consortium security for several days now I can anticipate both sides of this debate, I think, and maybe put both concerns to rest. We are not suggesting spying on our own crew over such matters. However there is a risk that a cultural shock, or a lover's quarrel could turn violent." Captain Dowlings looked indignant at the suggestion. Sutton barreled on.
"As far as our men go, they should know that while they are under surveillance, that data is highly restricted unless their is probable cause that a crime is being committed. They aren't being spied upon. However, anyone can trigger live surveillance and an immediate response from our office. All they have to do is to say, in a clear voice, "I need security." That will trigger the system. We will know and we will respond."
"Our people are already aware of this," Kavinda said. "Your crew, perhaps not. This is all just part of the learning process, bringing our crews together. I hope, in time, this mission can be an asset to later diplomatic efforts, a first attempt to get to know each other on closer terms."
"I hope so to," Captain Lannister said. "And I am merely concerned that any incident up here could reflect negatively on diplomacy back home."
Hanging heavy in the air was the one issue that no one was discussing, the trial of American soldiers by the Consortium legal system. How that would effect diplomacy or their chances of making it back home was anyone's guess. The consortium insisted they saw the two situations as unrelated, but it worried many of the American crew nonetheless.
"Of course, a commendable attitude," Dowlings said. "We will keep an eye on the situation. Perhaps some community discussions about culture are in order, a way to let people on both sides ask sensitive questions?"
"I will look into it at once," Kavinda said.
"Good then if we can move on," Dowlings said. "My concern is that there is a black market on my ship."
"A black market?" someone asked. "I can't imagine such a thing."
"I know of at least three examples," Dowlings replied.
"Really is it any less believable than fraternizing, human nature being what it is?" Kavinda wondered.
"Our people came onboard with nothing," the first officer protested. "It's been a week. What possible black market could there be?"
"I have already had to sanction one cook for trading choice snacks to get out of dishes."
"Seems pretty minor," Bakala scoffed.
"For now," Dowlings replied. "Your women are losing their hair, due to radiation. My people have scarves. They insist it's a friendly gift. I know not what favors are passing."
"I appreciate your desire for discipline, on both sides," Kavinda said. "But I must respectfully submit that once again, we are fighting human nature. And that is likely a losing proposition."
"Like fraternization," Lannister said, "it's no big deal until an agreement goes bad. Then we have a problem."
"I agree," Dowlings said.
"Ma'am," Bakala put in. "I have a suggestion. We have a commissary onboard. It's not big, but can we convert some of their pay into Consortium credit? Then they could purchase some small things."
"A good solution," Dowlings said. "I tend to agree with Kavinda, honestly. Fighting human nature is a losing proposition. I am just worried that a black market will lead to conflicts. And given that your crew came onboard with nothing, they are likely to be at a disadvantage. I don't begrudge the women scarves, people extra snacks, or whatever. But I want to make sure what trade is being made isn't taking advantage of them. If we can give the members of your crew some way to legitimately obtain some minor comforts, that's a winning solution. Unfortunately, the political situation makes that unlikely. The diplomats have been trying to iron out some exchange system between us and earth side. It's not proving easy."
Dan cringed. He knew part of the problem was practical but mostly it was politics. Accepting Consortium credits was tantamount to accepting the Consortium as overlords of earth in many people's minds. On the practical side, the Consortium itself had not interfaced with an independent government in eons and had no set way to do that.
"Maybe they could be given jobs on board?" Kavinda asked. "I am not sure what, but I think we could come up with something."
"If they wish," Bakala protested. "But they are currently serving their country, they shouldn't be required to work for money, not when they are getting paid elsewhere."
"There would be some, no doubt," Dan put in, "that would be glad for something to do with our time. But I agree, it should be voluntary only."
They spoke for a while about these issues, but no one had anything further solid to offer and the consortium officers, at least, had duties to attend to.