CHAPTER 36: JOHN
F.W.S. WarpStar
Epsilon Eridani
"What the hell just happened?" John asked the room, cradling his throbbing head as if trying to shield it from the intense pain that felt as if someone had taken a chisel to his skull, cracked it open, and begun to dig around in his brain like a deranged sculptor, carving out memories and thoughts indiscriminately.
"You just ordered the ship to jump to this system, disregarding an order from a fleet admiral. What has gotten into you, son?" Colonel Asshole shot back, his tone dripping with a mix of incredulity and disdain, as if John's actions had betrayed not just protocol but the very essence of their shared mission.
"Wha-what?" As the agony started to subside, John managed to open his eyes, squinting at the two people in the room with him: his mother, whose worried expression mirrored his own confusion, and the man he desperately wanted to knock the teeth out of, a figure who seemed to embody everything he was fighting against in that moment.
"How did you know that would happen?" Emily whispered urgently to Mark, her gaze never leaving her son, a mix of concern and confusion etched deeply on her face, every line betraying her maternal instinct to protect him from both the physical pain and the emotional turmoil.
"I didn't..." Mark replied, equally caught off guard, his eyes glued to John, as if he were trying to decipher a riddle that had just been thrust upon him. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, stifling any further words he might have wanted to muster. They both watched as John exchanged bewildered looks with them, his silence echoing their own shock. Finally, he turned on his heel and strode out of the office, heading toward the staircase that would lead him down to the lower command deck and ultimately the bridge, each step resonating with a sense of urgency.
"Sitrep!" John ordered as he burst into the bridge, his two companions trailing behind him, their expressions a blend of concern and curiosity as they rushed to keep pace.
"Sir, we have successfully jumped to the coordinates you provided. We're still waiting on passive data from the C.I.C.," Heidi reported, standing tall as she relinquished the command chair back to John, her expression a mix of professionalism and concern, the tension in the air palpable as she braced for his next move.
John scanned the faces of his crew, his mind racing with questions he dared not voice—'What coordinates?'—but he bit his tongue, determined to project confidence and authority now more than ever, even as uncertainty gnawed at the edges of his resolve.
"Sir, sensors have confirmed. We are in the Epsilon Eridani system," Charr announced, her voice steady as she relayed the readings from her console, every syllable laced with the weight of their sudden arrival.
"How?" John asked, a hint of disbelief lacing his tone. "No one has ever been here—no probe, no survey team. This system has been on our exploration list, yet it has remained unexplored. And from the last intel report I reviewed, the Republic hasn't explored the system either." He realized too late that he shouldn't have allowed his confusion to show, but the moment had slipped through his fingers like sand, leaving him grasping for clarity.
"Actually, you gave us the coordinates," Mark interjected, his voice cutting through John's spiraling thoughts, an unwelcome reminder of the chaos that had just unfolded.
Before John could unleash the anger bubbling up inside him at the man he loathed, the 18 MC chirped to life, a welcome interruption that felt like salvation from the mounting tension, a momentary reprieve from the storm brewing within.
"Con, C.I.C. Passive data has been analyzed. We have a class K2V star with two asteroid belts and two planets orbiting it. Neither planet is habitable, but both belts are showing a trove of resources. However, we are detecting some strange readings in the system. I can't say this for sure, but if I'm interpreting the data correctly, there seems to be another barrier surrounding this star, similar to the one in Wolf 359, except this one extends to 20 AU from the star," Jennifer Smedly reported, her tone grave as she delivered the unsettling information, each word adding weight to the growing sense of foreboding.
John stared out at the viewport, fixated on the small dot in the center of the view. It was larger than the stars surrounding it but still too small to discern anything concrete without straining his eyes. He felt an instinctive pull, a sense that something significant lay beyond that point, as if the universe itself was beckoning him to uncover its secrets. "Helm, how far are we from that 20 AU barrier?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the tumultuous emotions roiling within him.
"Sixteen AU, sir," Char reported, her calm demeanor and professional focus unwavering as she monitored her HUD, her hands moving with practiced precision.
"Good, point us in that direction and engage at five c. Exit FTL upon reaching a distance of less than 1 AU," John commanded, his voice firm, aware that every decision counted in this uncharted territory.
"Engaging FTL at five c, aye!" Char echoed the order, her fingers deftly adjusting the controls to push the ship five times the speed of light toward the enigmatic barrier, the ship vibrating with the energy of their reckless ambition.
"Commander." John nodded toward his office, discreetly signaling for Heidi to follow him, while also silently requesting the presence of the Admiral and the Colonel, a desperate need for clarity driving him.
"Commander." Heidi gestured toward Charlene, who was busy finalizing the autopilot settings, her focus unwavering in the midst of the chaos.
"Commander Carr has the con!" Charlene announced, now third in line for command, her voice firm as she embraced her responsibility, an anchor in the storm of uncertainty.
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"What the absolute hell?" Heidi exclaimed as they entered the captains office, her voice nearly a shout as she processed the chaotic events that had just unfolded, the frustration of the moment weaving itself into her words. John felt a void of confusion; he had no memories after the order to jump to Sol had come in. Admiral Henderson took it upon herself to recount the events for everyone to hear, including her son, her voice a steadying force amidst the turmoil.
"Commander, I wanted you to know this because I will fully support your decision to remove me from command if you deem it necessary. What transpired was unprofessional at the very least. Admiral, you are my witness," John declared, his resolve hardening like steel. The thought of having put his crew in danger due to an act completely beyond his control haunted him, a specter that wouldn’t let him rest easy.
"Admiral." Heidi turned her gaze toward the Navy's Medical brass, seeking clarity amidst the chaos. "Would you conclude that Captain Henderson is unfit for duty?"
She looked deep into her son's eyes, aware that anything she said could be misconstrued as nepotism, a fine line she walked carefully. After a tense moment of deliberation, she finally spoke, her voice steady but filled with the weight of her words. "Honestly, Commander, I do not believe so. However, if you feel it to be necessary, I will support your decision."
Heidi glanced back at her commanding officer, hesitation flickering across her features, but she knew her answer. "Sir, I do not believe it is time for that. However, if it happens again, I will have no choice but to do so."
"Thank you, Commander..."
"Every command decision, until that... thing... in your head can be removed, will be vetted by me," she stated, her resolve unwavering.
John felt a sense of relief wash over him; he knew his executive officer had the crew's best interests at heart, a fact that gave him some semblance of stability in the storm surrounding them. "Completely understandable, Commander. Now, let’s discuss our next moves. I have an idea, but I need to hear your opinions."
"We peek through the wall," Heidi stated immediately, her voice resolute and unwavering, as if she had already anticipated this course of action.
"That's what I was hoping you would say," John replied, a smile breaking through his earlier tension, a flicker of hope igniting within him. "Something brought us here—this was no accident. If there is another city out there with a lab just like in Wolf, maybe, just maybe, we can find a way to end this war. We may not make a significant difference in Sol, but we could make a monumental difference here. Any objections?" he asked the room, his eyes scanning the faces of his crew, searching for solidarity among the uncertainty.
"What if we crack open Pandora's box?" Colonel Asshole interjected, skepticism lacing his voice, a cautionary note ringing through the air.
"We have two murderous alien species bearing down on us; I don't think it can get much worse. We have to try," John retorted defiantly, his voice rising with conviction, fueled by a mix of desperation and determination.
Admiral Henderson cleared her throat, "Uh, two?"
"I'm not dismissing the Legion just yet, Mom. They may have brought you here with a message that we are fulfilling for them. Don't forget they have a fleet looming in Sol too; we don't know their intentions," he replied, the weight of the implications settling heavily on his shoulders.
"How are we going to peek through safely, unlike last time?" Heidi interrupted, her concern palpable as she sought clarity amidst the family quarrel, her brow furrowing with worry.
"The WarpStar will loiter just beyond the barrier. I'll take Betsy beyond it and recon the area. If it's clear, I'll come back through and lead the way. If I'm gone for more than a few minutes, get the ship back to Sol," John outlined his plan, each word carefully chosen, knowing the stakes were higher than ever.
The Colonel and the Admiral exchanged glances filled with unease, but they understood the order. Both had spent the majority of their lives in the military, witnessing combat more times than they could count. They recognized the wisdom behind John’s decision, even if it clashed with their instincts as parents who didn't want to see their son put in harm's way.
"Aye, sir!" Heidi saluted, her determination evident as she returned to the bridge, ready to execute their mission.
"Mom." John turned to his mother, no longer addressing her as a superior officer but as family, the lines between duty and kinship blurring in this moment of vulnerability. "If I don't come back, you force this ship to get back to Sol."
"I know, John. I know." A tear welled in her eye, and Emily fought desperately to hide her emotions, her heart aching with the weight of uncertainty. She sat down next to her son, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, a mother’s love fighting against the tide of fear. John hesitated, not because he didn't want the affection but out of awareness of the Colonel’s presence in the room. Emily sensed his reluctance, noting his eyes darting toward Colonel Asshole, who was staring at the floor, clearly uncomfortable himself. "John, there's something you should know before you go." She stood up, walking over to Mark's side, her voice trembling with the gravity of her revelation.
"I really need to go; we will be dropping out of FTL soon." His timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as the colorful rainbow assault displaying out the viewport suddenly ceased, replaced by the familiar black-and-white starry backdrop. "It's time."
"No, you need to know this," she insisted, her voice firm yet laced with worry, an urgency propelling her forward.
"In private, Mom. When I get back," he replied, desperation creeping into his tone.
"John, meet your father. Colonel Mark Henderson," she revealed, her words hanging in the air like a thunderclap.
"Wha..." John's voice faltered, confusion flooding his senses, quickly overshadowed by disbelief. "What are you talking about? You told me Dad died serving the Federation!" The weight of her words crashed down on him, a tidal wave of emotions threatening to pull him under.
"I'm sorry about that, son," Mark finally spoke, his tone somber, the gravity of the moment sinking in. "I was running black ops missions for the majority of the time; I was F.I.A., and I had to disappear."
"You... you... yo... What!" John nearly shouted, the revelation hitting him like a freight train, each syllable a struggle as his mind raced to comprehend the enormity of the truth.
"Bridge, Command, sir; helm is answering all stop, relative to the star, at point four AU from the desired destination," Heidi's voice broke through the tension over the comm circuit. John stood up, knowing he had to get to work, but a whirlwind of questions and emotions swirled within him, each one more pressing than the last.
"It's a good damn thing you're currently not active duty, sir!" John spat, venom lacing his words as he glared at Mark, the anger and betrayal boiling just beneath the surface.
"And why is that?" Mark replied confusion etched on his face as he failed to see the storm brewing, the chasm between them widening.
Before he could react, John didn’t hold back; he didn’t even attempt to block the right hook that landed squarely on Mark’s jaw, breaking his nose and knocking a couple of teeth loose in the process, the sound of impact echoing in the small space.
"That's why," John replied, knowing there would be no court-martial for striking a superior officer in the heat of the moment, the adrenaline coursing through him dulling the edges of his guilt.
"John!" Emily shrieked, her voice filled with alarm as she watched her son storm out of the office, leaving a mixture of chaos and unresolved emotions in his wake, the air thick with tension and unspoken words.