the rift
2016/12/08 04:13
General Marshall Battle and Commander Gene Patrick watched the outer shield slide back slowly, revealing the tear in the fabric of space and time.
Melanie watched Battle's eyes, then shifted her gaze to Patrick. There was nothing to be seen in either man's face.
With the TAC meeting just 45 minutes away, Melanie Hinson knew neither of her Commanding Officers had really expected to find the Nagas Rift.
When she got her first close-up glimpse, she saw nothing, just a dark, formless void.
Patrick was the first to speak, his head shaking from side-to-side. "It doesn't even look black to me."
Battle looked perplexed. "I know what you mean, it just looks empty. How long do we have, LT?"
"According to Nagas, it's progressing slowly through space and time, basically we can just follow it, it'll never go away."
Patrick glanced at her. "So it's simply a function of us taking the leap? We're tight supply inventory already."
Battle's eyes were still fixed on the enigmatic hole. "Either we starve out here or we chance what Nagas proposed. That means we go in, we do recon, we see if we can find a habitable planet."
Patrick looked at Redstone's notes. "Jack says Nagas has no idea what happens when we enter the Rift. It's an unpredicable outcome."
Battle shifted one foot up onto the air vent by the window. "True enough,Gene, all we've accomplished so far is to buy time to implement some half-assed mining colony down on the Moon, and we know what the numbers look like on that."
Patrick felt his gambling instinct rising to the challenge. "I'd rather we lose playing for high stakes. Hell, if we implement the lunar outpost, do we really think these rich fat cats are going to pull their weight? Ninety percent would be dead in a week from over-exertion."
Battle finally laughed. "Not enough golf courses for them, I imagine. You had time to form a team in your head?"
Melanie finally broke her silence. "You have a team, right here."
Battle was hardly surprised. He saw a glimmer of a smile on Patrick's face as he turned to look at her too.
Patrick's smile had vanished by the time Melanie could see it. "You & Celia Kurama?"
Melanie Hinson was pleased he knew her that well. "Yes, Sir."
She knew Battle would be a little surprised.
Battle knew there was bad blood between the two. "I thought you two didn't get along? If you're volunteering her to get her killed, remember we'll all be dead as well."
"She's the best we have, Sir." Melanie looked to Patrick for help.
Patrick gave it to her. "I agree. You can work with her?"
Melanie was emphatic. "She's good, I'm good, we're Air Force."
Patrick's smile surfaced. "Yes, Lt. Hinson, that we are."
Battle was pleased Hinson had struck a chord with Patrick. "Go get her out of her rack, LT. You are leaving."
"Yes, Sir." She saluted them both, received the gesture from each, turned and started toward the bulkhead. She paused for a minute, a roguish smile on her face. "Sirs?"
Battle turned, eyebrows raised. "LT?"
"We'll need some coffee." She watched her two COs break into wide smiles. "I'm just sayin'."
Lt. Melanie Hinson turned and walked out.
General Marshall Battle and Commander Gene Patrick watched the outer shield slide back slowly, revealing the tear in the fabric of space and time.
Melanie watched Battle's eyes, then shifted her gaze to Patrick. There was nothing to be seen in either man's face.
With the TAC meeting just 45 minutes away, Melanie Hinson knew neither of her Commanding Officers had really expected to find the Nagas Rift.
When she got her first close-up glimpse, she saw nothing, just a dark, formless void.
Patrick was the first to speak, his head shaking from side-to-side. "It doesn't even look black to me."
Battle looked perplexed. "I know what you mean, it just looks empty. How long do we have, LT?"
"According to Nagas, it's progressing slowly through space and time, basically we can just follow it, it'll never go away."
Patrick glanced at her. "So it's simply a function of us taking the leap? We're tight supply inventory already."
Battle's eyes were still fixed on the enigmatic hole. "Either we starve out here or we chance what Nagas proposed. That means we go in, we do recon, we see if we can find a habitable planet."
Patrick looked at Redstone's notes. "Jack says Nagas has no idea what happens when we enter the Rift. It's an unpredicable outcome."
Battle shifted one foot up onto the air vent by the window. "True enough,Gene, all we've accomplished so far is to buy time to implement some half-assed mining colony down on the Moon, and we know what the numbers look like on that."
Patrick felt his gambling instinct rising to the challenge. "I'd rather we lose playing for high stakes. Hell, if we implement the lunar outpost, do we really think these rich fat cats are going to pull their weight? Ninety percent would be dead in a week from over-exertion."
Battle finally laughed. "Not enough golf courses for them, I imagine. You had time to form a team in your head?"
Melanie finally broke her silence. "You have a team, right here."
Battle was hardly surprised. He saw a glimmer of a smile on Patrick's face as he turned to look at her too.
Patrick's smile had vanished by the time Melanie could see it. "You & Celia Kurama?"
Melanie Hinson was pleased he knew her that well. "Yes, Sir."
She knew Battle would be a little surprised.
Battle knew there was bad blood between the two. "I thought you two didn't get along? If you're volunteering her to get her killed, remember we'll all be dead as well."
"She's the best we have, Sir." Melanie looked to Patrick for help.
Patrick gave it to her. "I agree. You can work with her?"
Melanie was emphatic. "She's good, I'm good, we're Air Force."
Patrick's smile surfaced. "Yes, Lt. Hinson, that we are."
Battle was pleased Hinson had struck a chord with Patrick. "Go get her out of her rack, LT. You are leaving."
"Yes, Sir." She saluted them both, received the gesture from each, turned and started toward the bulkhead. She paused for a minute, a roguish smile on her face. "Sirs?"
Battle turned, eyebrows raised. "LT?"
"We'll need some coffee." She watched her two COs break into wide smiles. "I'm just sayin'."
Lt. Melanie Hinson turned and walked out.
