breaking point
"Crap, we lost comms already, as soon as they went in!" Syl passed the info on to L.C. Youngman beside her.
Lt. Cmdr. Margie Youngman called it out to Gene Patrick. "Comms disappeared on entry, Commander."
Patrick looked stoic, but his heart sank a bit. "I heard, L.C., thank you." He looked at the chain payout monitor. "Something's still pulling the chain out, L.C."
"That's good to hear, Sir." Youngman's telemetry was dropping out, too. She decided to omit that bit of news. She glanced over at her husband Chuck on the other side of the desk.
Chuck knew the telemetry was gone too.
The Youngmans shared some odd ideas about passing on information.
Patrick was staring at the bald patch on the back of Chuck's head. "What have you got for me, Chuck?"
Chuck was looking intently at something in his hand. "Brazil nut, Last One in Universe."
Patrick wanted to blow the old man's brains out. "I was looking for more relevant information."
Chuck Youngman sighed. "Same old song, Commander."
Patrick laughed. "What? The chain won't work?"
Chuck didn't even turn. "Chain won't work."
Patrick gestured at the viewport. "They're still pulling it, we know that even if the comms are down because of that chain."
"Yep, ah know." He continued examining the Brazil nut. "You're gonna have to cut them loose."
Patrick had always known that was a possibility. "You think 42 kilometers is too short?"
Chuck turned and looked at Patrick. "Space is big." He paused. "Roomy."
Patrick knew that. "It's the only way we know they're still moving."
Chuck turned back to his desk and rubbed his eyes. "The chain is for you, to make us all feel better. It's 42.3 km because that's all the chain we thought to bring. Aeneas faced a labyrinth, he had no idea how big it was. Where did the thread come from? The answer is people made the story up."
"Your point?" Patrick was seeing the chain counter approach the last few kilometers.
"It's like when you have kids. You only find what you're looking for in them if you have the faith to set them free."
"Enlighten me, O Jedi Master."
Patrick's sarcasm didn't faze Chuck. "That's the point. This isn't a science fiction movie. It's not Star Wars. There may not be a way back unless you create one."
Patrick turned back to him, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "And how exactly do we do that?"
"Let them run free. Show courage and faith and even Creation is possible." Chuck moved the Brazil nut an inch to its left.
"Do you ever listen to yourselves, you two?" Patrick freed one arm to gesture to both Youngmans at once.
"Yeah, actually we do." Chuck hadn't liked that remark much.
Margie Youngman interrupted. "Seven kilometers left."
Patrick fumed and said nothing.
"You bringing them back you think? When the chain runs out, I mean." Chuck sounded vaguely interested.
"What choice do I have?" Patrick was getting fearful there was nothing to be found.
"Let them run free. Cut them loose, 5-6 kliks to go, there's nothing there in all likelihood. You're more likely to pull us into the rift than stop them. They have momentum, we're standing still."
Patrick began to see the problem. "So why didn't you bring all this up at the TAC meeting?"
"We're intell. There's no official place for intell at TAC meetings."
Patrick was visualizing it. "There may be a good reason for that. Keep going, make my nightmare complete."
"You need to cut the chain and pray."
"Why would you say that? I pray because I believe in something, in God, in Christ! You don't believe in anything!" Patrick was barely keeping his voice level.
Chuck Youngman was matter-of-fact. "When I was 28 it was inevitable I'd be dead by 30. Instead, I quit drinking, got cleaned up and now you have to listen to my bullshit." He stood and turned to Patrick. "I'm an athiest and yeah, I pray, and yes it works, and here's my life to prove it."
Patrick showed him some respect when he turned back around. "You really believe what you just said?"
Chuck just nodded, Margie nodding behind him. "I think it's the underlying principle of all physics. I think it's why everything's here."
Patrick barked at Fenster. "Release the chain!"
Fenster made his usual noises of compliance and grumbling. "'Tach the chain, 'lease the chain, do thiz, do that, whudever, wha thuh fug?"
Patrick moved closer to Chuck & Margie. "You think that'll save our bacon?"
They shook their heads together.
"Not precisely." Margie said.
"Precisely what did I do?"
"You made the rift they have to find possible." Margie smiled at him.
Patrick realized he was starting to understand. He'd seen it all before, as if in a memory he'd never had.
He watched Chuck put the Brazil nut in his mouth and chew it, picking up his jacket.
Patrick's frustration returned. "Where do you think you're going?"
Chuck peered up at him through smeared glasses. "Thought I'd have a snooze before they get back." He gestured at his monitor. "No telemetry."
"A snooze?" Patrick was laughing despite himself. "You're going to sleep during one of the most important hours in the history of humanity?"
Margie nodded, sitting and digging out her crocheting. "He likes to grab a nap when he can."
Patrick noticed Syl was knitting. "You people are too much for me."
It was 90 minutes or so later when Chuck strolled back in, took his place at his desk and started filling Margie in on the events of the last hour and a half of his existence.
During the ninety minutes since the chain was released, 90 minutes of fear, anger and frustration for Gene Patrick, Chuck Youngman had been asleep.
Commander Patrick moved discreetly over to Chuck's station. "I need you to think clearly for me, okay?"
Chuck looked at him. "You need to be still."
At first Patrick thought it was an unprovoked attack on his authority. "What did you just say to me?"
"I asked you to be still. Just listen." Chuck's expression was neither disrespectful nor aggressive.
Patrick was about to speak, but Margie's raised hand stopped him.
He turned slowly back to the viewpoint, realizing he knew what he would see.
Syl burbled behind him. "Looks like they're back."
Margie nodded. "I've got telemetry."
Patrick looked from the workstations to the viewport and back again. He took his Lord's name in vain under his breath for the very last time.
The humble lifter broke out of the darkness in front of the display, and Melanie Hinson's ecstatic voice came on the radio.
"Destiny, this is Vanguard! We are pleased and proud to report recon mission complete and successful beyond measure! We have found a blue planet!"
The whole Flight Deck erupted and Patrick was besieged by handshakes and hugs.
When he looked back for the Youngmans, they were gone.
When he sat down at his desk to start relaying orders down the line, he saw a Brazil nut, possibly the Last One in Universe sitting on his tablet screen.
In keeping with the traditions of his new faith, Gene Patrick ate it.
Lt. Cmdr. Margie Youngman called it out to Gene Patrick. "Comms disappeared on entry, Commander."
Patrick looked stoic, but his heart sank a bit. "I heard, L.C., thank you." He looked at the chain payout monitor. "Something's still pulling the chain out, L.C."
"That's good to hear, Sir." Youngman's telemetry was dropping out, too. She decided to omit that bit of news. She glanced over at her husband Chuck on the other side of the desk.
Chuck knew the telemetry was gone too.
The Youngmans shared some odd ideas about passing on information.
Patrick was staring at the bald patch on the back of Chuck's head. "What have you got for me, Chuck?"
Chuck was looking intently at something in his hand. "Brazil nut, Last One in Universe."
Patrick wanted to blow the old man's brains out. "I was looking for more relevant information."
Chuck Youngman sighed. "Same old song, Commander."
Patrick laughed. "What? The chain won't work?"
Chuck didn't even turn. "Chain won't work."
Patrick gestured at the viewport. "They're still pulling it, we know that even if the comms are down because of that chain."
"Yep, ah know." He continued examining the Brazil nut. "You're gonna have to cut them loose."
Patrick had always known that was a possibility. "You think 42 kilometers is too short?"
Chuck turned and looked at Patrick. "Space is big." He paused. "Roomy."
Patrick knew that. "It's the only way we know they're still moving."
Chuck turned back to his desk and rubbed his eyes. "The chain is for you, to make us all feel better. It's 42.3 km because that's all the chain we thought to bring. Aeneas faced a labyrinth, he had no idea how big it was. Where did the thread come from? The answer is people made the story up."
"Your point?" Patrick was seeing the chain counter approach the last few kilometers.
"It's like when you have kids. You only find what you're looking for in them if you have the faith to set them free."
"Enlighten me, O Jedi Master."
Patrick's sarcasm didn't faze Chuck. "That's the point. This isn't a science fiction movie. It's not Star Wars. There may not be a way back unless you create one."
Patrick turned back to him, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "And how exactly do we do that?"
"Let them run free. Show courage and faith and even Creation is possible." Chuck moved the Brazil nut an inch to its left.
"Do you ever listen to yourselves, you two?" Patrick freed one arm to gesture to both Youngmans at once.
"Yeah, actually we do." Chuck hadn't liked that remark much.
Margie Youngman interrupted. "Seven kilometers left."
Patrick fumed and said nothing.
"You bringing them back you think? When the chain runs out, I mean." Chuck sounded vaguely interested.
"What choice do I have?" Patrick was getting fearful there was nothing to be found.
"Let them run free. Cut them loose, 5-6 kliks to go, there's nothing there in all likelihood. You're more likely to pull us into the rift than stop them. They have momentum, we're standing still."
Patrick began to see the problem. "So why didn't you bring all this up at the TAC meeting?"
"We're intell. There's no official place for intell at TAC meetings."
Patrick was visualizing it. "There may be a good reason for that. Keep going, make my nightmare complete."
"You need to cut the chain and pray."
"Why would you say that? I pray because I believe in something, in God, in Christ! You don't believe in anything!" Patrick was barely keeping his voice level.
Chuck Youngman was matter-of-fact. "When I was 28 it was inevitable I'd be dead by 30. Instead, I quit drinking, got cleaned up and now you have to listen to my bullshit." He stood and turned to Patrick. "I'm an athiest and yeah, I pray, and yes it works, and here's my life to prove it."
Patrick showed him some respect when he turned back around. "You really believe what you just said?"
Chuck just nodded, Margie nodding behind him. "I think it's the underlying principle of all physics. I think it's why everything's here."
Patrick barked at Fenster. "Release the chain!"
Fenster made his usual noises of compliance and grumbling. "'Tach the chain, 'lease the chain, do thiz, do that, whudever, wha thuh fug?"
Patrick moved closer to Chuck & Margie. "You think that'll save our bacon?"
They shook their heads together.
"Not precisely." Margie said.
"Precisely what did I do?"
"You made the rift they have to find possible." Margie smiled at him.
Patrick realized he was starting to understand. He'd seen it all before, as if in a memory he'd never had.
He watched Chuck put the Brazil nut in his mouth and chew it, picking up his jacket.
Patrick's frustration returned. "Where do you think you're going?"
Chuck peered up at him through smeared glasses. "Thought I'd have a snooze before they get back." He gestured at his monitor. "No telemetry."
"A snooze?" Patrick was laughing despite himself. "You're going to sleep during one of the most important hours in the history of humanity?"
Margie nodded, sitting and digging out her crocheting. "He likes to grab a nap when he can."
Patrick noticed Syl was knitting. "You people are too much for me."
It was 90 minutes or so later when Chuck strolled back in, took his place at his desk and started filling Margie in on the events of the last hour and a half of his existence.
During the ninety minutes since the chain was released, 90 minutes of fear, anger and frustration for Gene Patrick, Chuck Youngman had been asleep.
Commander Patrick moved discreetly over to Chuck's station. "I need you to think clearly for me, okay?"
Chuck looked at him. "You need to be still."
At first Patrick thought it was an unprovoked attack on his authority. "What did you just say to me?"
"I asked you to be still. Just listen." Chuck's expression was neither disrespectful nor aggressive.
Patrick was about to speak, but Margie's raised hand stopped him.
He turned slowly back to the viewpoint, realizing he knew what he would see.
Syl burbled behind him. "Looks like they're back."
Margie nodded. "I've got telemetry."
Patrick looked from the workstations to the viewport and back again. He took his Lord's name in vain under his breath for the very last time.
The humble lifter broke out of the darkness in front of the display, and Melanie Hinson's ecstatic voice came on the radio.
"Destiny, this is Vanguard! We are pleased and proud to report recon mission complete and successful beyond measure! We have found a blue planet!"
The whole Flight Deck erupted and Patrick was besieged by handshakes and hugs.
When he looked back for the Youngmans, they were gone.
When he sat down at his desk to start relaying orders down the line, he saw a Brazil nut, possibly the Last One in Universe sitting on his tablet screen.
In keeping with the traditions of his new faith, Gene Patrick ate it.