Mac finished shutting down Concord, hands flying with practiced finesse, eyes unfocused, his mind broiling with fear... and memory... ‘I hope that was right’ he thought. He needed time to think. This was escalating too quickly. ‘This only leads to reprisal’…
Mac heard the tell-tale background noise of Atmosphere returning to the hanger, the crew at Hanger 3 had gotten good at smoothly ramping up the gravity; and as such, Concord settled into her berth with narely a bump.
He popped the seal on his helmet but didn’t remove it until he was down the ladder. Only after he removed it was his mental spiral broken by Lyrian’ s face in his, kissing him profusely.
“Hey babe.. didn’t die.” He joked as she released him. Siccuro walked up shortly after. Mac was checking over Concord with lyrian, showing her little things here and there. Mostly just letting her be near him after what just happened. He needed her grounding, her soul…
“*cough* Captain wants to see you.” Siccuro broke the silence.
Mac gave him a weak smile, trying not to let the adrenaline crash show. “Tell him I will be there as soon as I’m changed.” He tugged at the metal collar that made up the suit side of his helmet seal. “This thing’s no void suit”.
Siccuro nodded and Lyrian lead him back to their quarters… It was several minutes later when they arrived at their room. Lyrian could feel her Mac’s mind’s storm of exhaustion and emotion. She helped him out of his G suit and he stumbled to his chair and collapsed into it.
“James… what’s wrong….” Worry creased her face..
“I’m ok.. just an adrenaline crash…. In my wardrobe. Left side bottom. You will find a box labeled “E” pass it to me with a bottle of water.”
She found the box and the bottle of water, “Here.” she gave it to him.
He opened the box. Pulling out a powder pack, ripped it open, and poured the powder into the bottle of water and proceeded to chug. “That’ll have to do.” He got up and Lyrian rushed over to help him up, but he seemed to be doing better.
“What did you take?” She asked, reaching over to the torn open packet.. She sniffed the opening. Then touched it with her tongue almost immediately jerking away in disgust, “what the fuck… ugh sour..” she reached for another bottle of water and started chugging furiously. She was interrupted by Mac struggling to strangle down a laugh, and failing miserably.
“It’s called an energy drink/ electrolyte packet.. you know how I sweat a lot more than you do?” He asked, waiting for a nod which he got. “Well this drink…. replaces some of the minerals my body needs…that I sweat out” he continued, “It also has Caffeine in it. When my body gets its fight or flight reflexes triggered. It releases a chemical that heightens reflexes, dulls pain, and sharpens my senses. When the threat is over, my body purges that chemical, adrenaline… it’s called an adrenaline crash. The caffeine is a light stimulant that will help cover for the crash until my body levels out.” He reached for her and pulled her into an embrace.
‘This sucks with void suits on’ she thought until he kissed her on the neck, triggering a gasp. “See you tonight” he purred in her ear. She grabbed him and pressed him close “tonight” she hummed back to him.
And then they were off. She was back to the bridge to finish her shift at the Con, and Mac was along side, headed to the bridge as well, to see Silu.
——————————————————————
Captain Silu turned as the newly paired couple entered the bridge. Lyrian took her station. Mac walked up to him and came to a stop in an odd posture, heels together, spine ramrod straight, “you asked to see me sir” Mac stated.
“My office,” Silu commanded, and they departed for the side door. Once inside, Silu relaxed a tad, “Sit down Mackenzie” Mac did so, and Silu continued, “You certainly know how to leave and impression… What the Void were you doing…”
“Making a statement.” Mackenzie stated flatly.
“But, did you have to fire on a UGN warship? Yes, they technically crossed the line first, and I have already transmitted the Data to UGN high command and the Delmar Delegation in the Legislature. But you made an enemy here today. “
“In Kar….. “ Mac sank into his chair with a sigh, “I know, but at the time, I did not believe I had a choice. I still don’t.”
“I fear you are correct, but this is going to linger.. UGN frontier vessels, like that, get defeated on occasion…. usually by overwhelming pirate numbers. But you humiliated one, and then shoed him away, seemingly as if he was not even worth killing… Thermians are a warrior Caste, that’s going to have repercussions...... *sigh* Ours a dangerous game.” Silu stated. Mac nodded, but sat forward in his seat.
“Silu… that ship… is it… representative of the UGN at large.” Mac asked in a quite level tone.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Silu responded, confused.
Mac raised a finger. Then lowered it. Searching for the words, “Is it the UGN doctrine to set up their ships like the Dawn was set up. Capacitor banks powering weapons, undersized power cores, weak shields.. weaker sensors…”
“I wouldn’t call a ship of that class weak at all.. the UGN doesn’t tend to skimp on shields and sensors. What we faced today was a Frontier patrol ship.. designed to live and work and fight with minimal resources and opportunity to resupply.” Silu thought for a moment before continuing, “the only real difference between a frontier brig, and a fleet warship, would be its weapons and main core power. The UGN intentionally arms their frontier patrols with exclusively energy based weapons. And slightly bigger power core… generally a power core designed for one ship larger than the frontier vessel. It’s how they get around omitting consumable munitions like guided plasma missiles, EM missiles, or Kinetics.”
“The UGN uses Kinetics?” Max questioned carefully.
“Not much anymore… the Flak Kannon, not unlike what we have on traveler, used to be the companion of plasma before direct energy replaced it for point defense. Kinetics are looked down on as a weapon of the poor now. Even the most strict core worlds don’t even regulate the carriage of kinetics on one’s person because of their antique status.” Silu finished.
“I…see..” Mac took a moment to process. His eyes searched the space between them, and Silu got the distinct feeling that the human was coming to an earth-shattering realization.
Mac finally looked back at his uncle in law. His voice was a slow deliberate cadence, “Silu, every ship I have destroyed or disabled, since you met me, has been through Kinetics or explosives. Concord does not have a single energy weapon on her.”
Silu’s eyes widened at the implications, “why are you telling me this… Aren’t these one of your ‘top secrets’ “.
“That’s just it,” Mac continued carefully, “Our kinetic weapons technology is common knowledge to humanity, and it is not even a military secret. Humans have been perfecting the art of throwing rocks at each other and blowing things up for Thousands of years… The vast majority of our weapons development has been done by civilian companies, not the government….”
“I don’t follow,” Silu stated.
“Captain.” Mac continued seriously, “The only thing keeping my species from erasing the Galactic unity from the face of the Black, the void, the universe; whatever you want to call it….. is the fact that we haven’t figured out faster than light yet.” Mac’s tone frosted over with deadly precision as he continued, “Captain. I got close enough for an…. Intimate… scan of the Convergent Dawn.. One Terran fusion reactor, identical to Concord’s, could power everything on that warship twice over, with a safety buffer and reserve power cushion.” Macs eyes bored into Silu, “And Concord carries two…”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Silu sucked in a lung full of air but Mac held him there with those frozen Ice blue eyes, “Most Terran or Martian ships that were the size of Convergent Dawn have about 20 percent more sensor capabilities, 3 times the shield heat dissipation and Impact/HE resilience, and almost 5 times the firepower.. If, no, WHEN my people reach for the Stars again… It could go very very badly if a greedy UGN cruiser gets their first and tries to pull what the Dawn tried to pull today…”
“I think I understand. But why tell me this…” Silu asked.
Mac took a sip of his strange drink he brought with him. “Because, I am Human… I am also Helyon… and I do not want the Galaxy to devolve into a war of extinction. Because If humanity is pushed…. We WILL wage one.. It is our nature to hit back twice as hard, and to not stop striking until the job is done…It’s how we almost exterminated ourselves. I won’t have Lyrian subject to the level of brutality I was forged in…” Mac stood, “I think I need to have a conversation with Doc. Also, when we get to Delmar; I may need to speak to your tribes elders, and scientists. And, If you could spare her; I need some time to pic Marg’s brain as soon as she is free.”
Silu nodded, “I can set up a meeting with Marg tomorrow morning if you would like. The rest, will have to wait until we get home. Dismissed for now.”
Mac stood and stiffened steel straight for a moment then departed.
——————————————————————
“Now, what did we learn.” Doc Icario finished up sealing up the young Delmar male’s arm before wrapping it.
“Double check the conduit is fully discharged. Or next time I might lose an arm.” the annoyed young engineer parroted.
“Or your head” reminded Icario, “now, off with you. Light duty for the next 8 hours or I’ll have to rebreak it, so it heals properly.”
The crewman nodded and departed sickbay just to bounce off Mac as he was walking in, “easy, you good?” Mac flashed a smile.. the poor man stuttered,” I’m f-f-fine, sorry.” and bolted down the corridor at a dead run.
“Fuckin hell. Teeth bad.. accept, when they aren’t, god dammit.” grumbled Mac as he wandered in toward Doc. He then spoke with a strange nasally tone, “Heh, what’s up Doc?”
“Excuse me?” Icario’s confused look breaking the joke. Mac chuckled waving away the comment.
“Must bet lost in translation,” he mused the turned serious. “Doc, you got a min?”
“If it’s about the other night…yes I heard… no, Tili is not amused..” Doc Gruffed, the twinkle in his eye ruining the act.
“You sly old fox… you do have stories” responded Mac with an evil smirk.
Doc scowled, menacingly waving a scanner at Mac, “Not…drunk…enough”.
“Yet” Mac finished, and they both relented with a chuckle.
“What do you need, son. I doubt you came here to learn ‘tricks of the trade’.” Doc mused.
“Ha! Ah, no. I wanted to ask you.. how did the marriage contract get out so fast. It’s been less than two days.” Mac settled into a chair next to Icario’s desk as the older Delmar settled in behind it.
“Well, mostly automation and transfer algorithms, combined with the physics of subspace.” Icario remarked.
“The physics of subspace.” Mac repeated back to Icario; leaned forward, interested.
“We, like the greater galaxy, figured out that it is much easier and faster to send data packets through subspace at faster than light speed as long as there is a destination and enough energy. So a trip, like one we are currently on, might take two or three weeks for a void ship like Traveler; but it would only take the data containing your marriage roughly…. Eight hours, maybe eight and a half?” Icario pondered.
Mac looked at him, dumbfounded, “almost 1000 to one…. What is the power ratio needed, and how do you solve for signal degradation.”
“My boy, I’m a doctor not a physicist. I’m not sure… what’s so funny” Icario paused as Mac Snarfed into his drink, shoulders shaking I suppressed laughter. It became not-so-suppressed laughter after a few seconds.
“I’m sorry Bones, I mean Doc. You unintentionally made a Human reference, a dam good one. I’m listening.” Mac finished, finally containing himself.
Icario gave him a sideways glance, “Anyway, I do not know the power numbers. But I do know that signals do not degrade in subspace. If you remember our explanation of why your LEAP test failed. The same applies to data. There must be a start and an end coordinate or beacon.”
Mac nodded, “I see..” he was interrupted by in infirmary door being kicked open.
A female with a nasty burn on her face was rushed in and placed on a bed. Her companion looking to Icario, “coolant pipe micro fracture near section 6. We neutralized what we could.”
“Ah,” Icario stood as Mac did the same, “a healer’s job on an aging freighter is never done.”
“I bet. See ya later…. Bones” Mac’s smirk could not be withered by Icario’s glare. And Mac just waved as he headed toward the Mess hall.
Lunch passed quickly, Mac meeting up with Lyrian for a quick bite before she finished her shift.
Mac wandered back to their quarters… he had some research to do. He flipped through the desk console until he found the section containing Subspace Communications.
He cranked up his music and began reading. Doc’s lessons had helped, but reading Delmar was still out of his reach. He reached for his data-pad to pull up a translation, deciding to change up his playlist as well, choosing to use his speakers instead of his translator buds.
(Sleepin’ on the Blacktop- Colter Wall) came on the shuffle, and Mac started reading.
“Sunshine beating on the good times, Moonlight raising from the grave.
String band playing worn out honky-tonks, Pretty young thing going dancing in…”
The music faded to the back of consciousness as Mac dove deeper into his research. There was a lot of math involved. Not the kind a combat pilot could see with his eyes and intuition.. the kind that needed formula’s… and white lab coats… maybe some crazy hair...
“What’s so amusing?” Macs ‘zone’ was burst, now hours later, by a familiar voice and the bubbling of amusement and warmth in the back of his mind that told him that Lyrian was close enough for their bond to be felt.
He turned in his chair to her, “I’m picturing a wild white haired old man who just so happened to be my species Pioneer on theoretical physics, give a lecture on subspace data.” He mused back at her, “I didn’t miss dinner, did I?”
He glanced down at his Delmar made Comm/ Time piece/ Data interface. His Uncles present currently sat on a stand on his desk that slowly spun off axis to the watch to keep the mechanical winding in good working order and lubricated properly. It had pained Mac a bit to remove his prized possession, but 28 Terran hour days, cut into tenths, meant that he simply needed something calibrated to his new life. The watch, and stand, currently rested in its place of honor on his desk though. That was enough.
“Not yet. I just got off shift, I came home to change before dinner” she said as she put her uniform poncho and Security Badge over her void suit and hung it up up in her wardrobe. She paused as she was grabbing one from her ‘shore clothes’ Poncho’s. She smirked then turned and sauntered over, straddling Mac’s lap as he watched her before leaning in for his lips. he responded and their lips met.. void suits pressed together.
“Hmmm… dinner can wait…” she half coo’d half growling as she reached down to give his neck a nip/kiss. “You…me.” She bared her teeth, “now..” she growled and kissed him on the lips again, more fiercely this time.
Mac didn’t bother turning off the music
*Feathered Indians-Tyler Childers echoed in the background*
—————————————————————-
A couple hours later a very satisfied looking, and slightly wobbly, Lyrian, hand in hand with a grinning Mac, wandered in to see what was left in the Mess for dinner. Lyrian had her Helyon Tribal patterned Poncho on over her suit. Three star like shapes orbiting what Mac had been told was was the Delmaracian version of wheat. The whole thing circled in a patterned very similar to Her own markings. The crest was colored to match her skin. Satin silver filled with deep auburn outlines. The Tribal crest was set on one corner of the poncho with the flat blue background making up the bulk of the material trimmed in Auburn.
Luckily, Dinner was a four hour affair on account of shifts ending and beginning, so the food was still hot and coming out. The faint sounds of Bob Marley could be heard as Martin finished up the latest batch of items for the chow line.
“Hey, look who finally made it! Mac, when are you going to let me try something Human Spicy!” Martin called from behind the kitchens almost 50’s diner style three quarters wall that separated the cooking area from the serving bar.
“When I’m sure that Cayenne doesn’t constitute a chemical weapon!” Mac threw back with a laugh grabbing a pair of trays and handing one to Lyrian, “Lyri got a rather rude introduction to energy drinks, so I suspect Human spices might end up a bit well.. exciting.”
Lyrian made a face, “yuk! not fun. Too sour, and my head was buzzing for an hour after.”
“Lime, the flavor is Lime” Mac clarified, suppressing a laugh. Then turned to Martin, “I promise, I’ll bring samples to Doc in the morning. He gets final say though.”
“Fine, that’s Fair I guess.” grumped the Chef before his eyes brightened up and he grabbed their plates of their trays and disappeared into the back for a moment. He came back with full plates of assorted steaming goodness, Mac’s with a bit more meat on his that Lyrians, and returned the plates with a shooing motion. “Go, Go. I’ve got you” he said, eyes sparkling.
Mac just laughed, “Always trust the Chef.” He said with an abbreviated human salute and spun to catch Lyrian who was headed for a table with Tristen and Brayton already there, chowing down on their meals.
“Lyri?” Lyrian asked with a mock scowl.
“What.” Mac feigned innocents, “your mom is ‘Tili’. Shortening someone’s name seems to be something we have in common. We call em ‘nicknames’, and we give them to people close to us.”
Lyrian smirked then leaned in until her lips just brushed Mac’s ear, “Am I close enough to you?” She coo’d. picking at a lobe with one of her fangs.
Mac stiffened slightly, then wrapped an arm around her waist, “Do I need to show you again?”
He rumbled back at her, dissolving her into giggles just as they reached the table.
“What’s so funny” the younger Brayton asked, looking up from his food.
Mac flashed an evil, yet Delmar kosher grin, “Inside joke”.
Lyrian clouted Mac on the back of the head and Tristen snarfed into the drink he was unfortunately taking a sip of at the moment. Poor young Brayton was completely lost.
“I regret nothing” Mac stated before taking a drink from his own glass, as the fours conversation shifted into various topics.
——————————————————————
The remains of the three-week crossing to Argorania passed in relative peace. Mac met with Marg about once a week, as he picked her brain on subspace physics. She wasn’t an expert, but it helped him figure out what to ask when they got to Delmar.
Lyri had taken to her nickname, refusing to let Mac not use it now... well mostly. She had taken to tutoring him in her people’s language, getting him to tell her stories of Terra, but only in Delmar. Some nights had less Tutoring in them than others.
On week two, Mac had placed two requests. First was with the Auto Fab unit’s que, it had taken some measuring and scanning, but 2 days before their arrival, Mac got the call, and had the items sent to Hanger3. He was proud that he had gotten through that conversation in Delmar, well, mostly. He had kept one translator ear plug on but on standby just in case he needed it. This left the other ear free to hear, untranslated and to help him ‘work on his accent’ as Lyri had chided.
The second was for Doc Icario. Mac had tried, but ‘Bones’ hadn’t stuck... at least not yet, but Mac finally given Doc a collection of spices from his travel bag, and been given a crash course on void suit tech. Then, Mac gifted Icario his G suit to study along with a spec sheet, and the second request.
Mac had spent the day before, and the morning of arrival day, in Concord; slowly whittling down the pile of packaged items on the floor of the hanger while Lyri was on the bridge.
That afternoon another package was delivered to Max and Lyri’s quarters. And hung up on the hook usually holding Mac’s G suit. A note from Doc was attached to the outside.
——————————————————————
The bridge door hissed open, and Captain Silu looked over to see Mac walk in, standing at what he had learned was “parade rest” next to the command chair. It was a better position than that board stiff “attention” Mac had used before. Silu had insisted on Parade rest since Mac insisted on Military courtesy while being observed by the crew.
“Do you have a moment, Captain” Mac’s Delmar was coming along nicely. Silu noticed a smirk tug at the Corner of his niece’s lips.
‘Good girl’, “Con, ETA on Beacon” Silu both praised internally, and commanded our loud.
“7 ‘minutes’ Captain,” Her crisp responses never could get rid of the slight melodic cadence she had kept from childhood.
Silu swiveled in his chair to face his nephew in law, “it appears i have 7 of them Lieutenant, my office.” He stood, “NAV HAS THE BRIDGE” he called out, as he and Mac disappeared into what Mac has dubbed his ‘ready room’.
The door hissed shut behind them, “Ok Mac, what is it.” He voice was calm but expectant. Mac did not tend to waste his time.
“Silu, I need your… advice...” Mac stated. Voice wavering slightly, more imagined than real. Silu knew better, but he just sat down behind his desk waited for Mac to get it out. The man was clearly carrying something heavy on his mind.
Mac sat down across from his wife’s Uncle.. Leaning forward until his elbows rested on his knees.
Mac voice was barely but a whisper, “I think I can contact Sol… “