Read Online THE HELMSMAN: Director's Cut Edition by Bill Baldwin - Free Book Online
Authors: Bill Baldwin
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Departure Control,” Brim seconded, “proceeding Lox'Sands-98 buoy, zone orange with immediate HyperLight transition on arrival. Thanks, Gimmas/Haefdon. See you next time.” Before he finished speaking, Truculent swept through the planet's atmosphere and was streaking along in darkness on the edge of outer space. He busied himself with additional checkout routines and monitored the ship's systems for the next few cycles, keeping a wary eye on his LightSpeed indicator as the ship accelerated. “Let's cut in the Drive, Nik,” he said presently. “Lieutenant Gallsworthy, will you call out the readings?”
Ursis winked and kissed his fingertips. “Drive shutters open. Activating Drive crystals,” he echoed. “Firing number one.” A single shaft of green light extended far out into the blackness aft. Instantly, Hyperscreens dimmed to protect the bridge occupants while a deep, businesslike grumble joined the roar of the gravity generators.
“Point seven five LightSpeed. Point eight,” Gallsworthy called out.
“Readouts normal,” the Chairman reported.
Ursis nodded, cross-checking his own instruments. Apparently satisfied, he went on to the next: “Firing two. Firing three. “
“Point eight five LightSpeed,” Gallsworthy continued. “Point nine.”
“Firing four.”
Truculent's light-limited gravity generators were now just about played out. In the forward Hyperscreens, the first glowing sheets of Gandom's V e effect were already crackling along the starship's deck when Brim turned his attention outside.
“Point nine seven LightSpeed.”
Presently, the visible Universe became laced by a fine network of pulsing brilliance spreading jaggedly from the last visible stars as if the whole firmament were about to shatter into the very pebbles of creation. Now all he had to do was pass the Lox'Sands-98 buoy. The ship would have to tell him when; until the Drive could be deployed, Truculent's bridge crew was virtually blind to the outside Universe.
Suddenly: “Lox'Sands-98 buoy in the wake, Lieutenant Brim,” the Chairman confirmed. Brim smiled with anticipation. “That's it, Nik,” he said. “Half ahead, all crystals.”
“Half ahead, all crystals,” Ursis echoed. Quiet thunder from Truculent's four Drive crystals joined the roar of her straining gravity generators, the starscape wobbled and shimmered, then blended to an angry red kaleidoscope ahead until space itself came to an end in a wilderness of shifting, multicolored sparks. When this phenomenon (the Daya-Peraf transition) at last subsided, the LightSpeed indicator had moved through 1.0 and began to climb rapidly again as Truculent's Drive crystals took over the job of hurtling her through HyperSpace.
“Finished with gravity generators,” Brim announced.
“Gravity generators spooling down,” Ursis confirmed.
Immediately, the Hyperscreen panels darkened while their crystalline lattices were synchronized with the Drive, then they cleared once more, blazing with the full majesty of the Universe. On this side of the LightSpeed barrier, however, flowing green Drive plumes trailed the ship for at least two c'lenyts surrounded by a whirling green wake as Truculent's HyperSpace shock wave bled off mass and negative time (“T neg ” of historic Travis equations) in accordance with the complex system of Travis Physics. In a few moments, the noise of the generators faded completely. Brim glanced at Collingswood. “Twenty-eight LightSpeed, Commander?” he asked.
“Twenty-eight LightSpeed will suffice,” Collingswood replied with a slight grin.
“Mister Chairman, set and hold the ship on twenty-eight LightSpeed,” Brim ordered.
“Twenty Eight LightSpeed cruise set,” the Chairman confirmed.
Without warning, Gallsworthy caught Brim’s eye.
“Yes, sir?” the surprised Carescrian asked, braced for still another rebuff.
A shadow of humor passed the senior Helmsman's reddened eyes, before they clouded again. “You may have proved a point
Ursis winked and kissed his fingertips. “Drive shutters open. Activating Drive crystals,” he echoed. “Firing number one.” A single shaft of green light extended far out into the blackness aft. Instantly, Hyperscreens dimmed to protect the bridge occupants while a deep, businesslike grumble joined the roar of the gravity generators.
“Point seven five LightSpeed. Point eight,” Gallsworthy called out.
“Readouts normal,” the Chairman reported.
Ursis nodded, cross-checking his own instruments. Apparently satisfied, he went on to the next: “Firing two. Firing three. “
“Point eight five LightSpeed,” Gallsworthy continued. “Point nine.”
“Firing four.”
Truculent's light-limited gravity generators were now just about played out. In the forward Hyperscreens, the first glowing sheets of Gandom's V e effect were already crackling along the starship's deck when Brim turned his attention outside.
“Point nine seven LightSpeed.”
Presently, the visible Universe became laced by a fine network of pulsing brilliance spreading jaggedly from the last visible stars as if the whole firmament were about to shatter into the very pebbles of creation. Now all he had to do was pass the Lox'Sands-98 buoy. The ship would have to tell him when; until the Drive could be deployed, Truculent's bridge crew was virtually blind to the outside Universe.
Suddenly: “Lox'Sands-98 buoy in the wake, Lieutenant Brim,” the Chairman confirmed. Brim smiled with anticipation. “That's it, Nik,” he said. “Half ahead, all crystals.”
“Half ahead, all crystals,” Ursis echoed. Quiet thunder from Truculent's four Drive crystals joined the roar of her straining gravity generators, the starscape wobbled and shimmered, then blended to an angry red kaleidoscope ahead until space itself came to an end in a wilderness of shifting, multicolored sparks. When this phenomenon (the Daya-Peraf transition) at last subsided, the LightSpeed indicator had moved through 1.0 and began to climb rapidly again as Truculent's Drive crystals took over the job of hurtling her through HyperSpace.
“Finished with gravity generators,” Brim announced.
“Gravity generators spooling down,” Ursis confirmed.
Immediately, the Hyperscreen panels darkened while their crystalline lattices were synchronized with the Drive, then they cleared once more, blazing with the full majesty of the Universe. On this side of the LightSpeed barrier, however, flowing green Drive plumes trailed the ship for at least two c'lenyts surrounded by a whirling green wake as Truculent's HyperSpace shock wave bled off mass and negative time (“T neg ” of historic Travis equations) in accordance with the complex system of Travis Physics. In a few moments, the noise of the generators faded completely. Brim glanced at Collingswood. “Twenty-eight LightSpeed, Commander?” he asked.
“Twenty-eight LightSpeed will suffice,” Collingswood replied with a slight grin.
“Mister Chairman, set and hold the ship on twenty-eight LightSpeed,” Brim ordered.
“Twenty Eight LightSpeed cruise set,” the Chairman confirmed.
Without warning, Gallsworthy caught Brim’s eye.
“Yes, sir?” the surprised Carescrian asked, braced for still another rebuff.
A shadow of humor passed the senior Helmsman's reddened eyes, before they clouded again. “You may have proved a point
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