Nimisha's Ship
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Nimisha's Ship». Краткое содержание книги:
When Nimisha takes an experimental ship on a solo test flight, something goes horribly awry, marooning her light-years from home on a planet as deadly as it is beautiful. Now the ruthless members of a rival branch of the Rondymense family are given the chance they've been waiting for: to reclaim the Ship Yards by any means necessary.
Only Nimisha's ingenious child, Cuiva, stands in their way. But for how long? For just when her daughter needs her most, Nimisha is in a precarious situation herself--and unable to help. But Nimisha has never given up in her life--and she's not about to start now . . .
"She probably couldn't stand Karpla's complaints," Nimisha said unkindly.
"Lady Nimisha!" Doc said in a chiding tone. "Surely that good deed must redeem her in your estimation."
"I'll try to let it," she replied.
"Helm, muster the Acclarke's crew at the skiff hatch," Jon said. "We can get those supplies off now that the captain's… being taken care of."
Nimisha was almost shocked at the malicious twinkle in his eyes as he waved her a farewell.
As soon as Jon left, Nimisha went to the bridge of the Fiver and watched him trudge across the sun-baked dusty landing field to the other vessel. Fortunately, decontam suits used air-conditioning, so he wouldn't be too uncomfortable in today's heat. On the way, she saw first Globan, then Drayus and the other crew members, fall in beside him. Whatever explanation he gave them stopped them in their tracks. Then Globan started giving orders, and Ace Parappan and Fez Amin, with Tezza Ashke right behind them, found an empty four-wheeled cart, which they pushed to the stern hatch of the Acclarke. Some of the Sh'im came along to either investigate or help.
"Now hear this, Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense speaking," she said, using the traditional hail. "Captain Meterios has become infected by whatever allergen Brad Karpla brought back from his latest hunt. The Acclarke is officially in the strictest quarantine. If anyone is experiencing a body-wide itching, please report here immediately. You there of the Acclarke crew, do exactly, and only, what Commander Svangel orders."
"That includes the Sh'im, Nimisha," Doc said sternly.
"Including Sh'im. We'd like to speak to those who accompanied Brad on his most recent hunt, to determine which plant caused his condition. Karpla and Captain Meterios are resting comfortably while an antidote or a treatment can be found."
"Which I can't find without the full resources of a naval medical facility," Doc added sourly.
Jon had barely returned from his several duties on the Acclarke, telling Nimisha that Captain Meterios had been put into cold sleep, when Helm announced a contact.
"Fiver, this is Fiver B calling." Nimisha gulped at the sound of Caleb Rustin's unmistakable baritone.
"Fiver B, this is Nimisha receiving you loud and clear. Where are you?"
There was a brief pause that told both Nimisha and Jon that the Fiver B was still a long way off.
"We have just translated to Insystem drive at heliopause and are reducing our speed preparatory to landing at the coordinates on record."
"Is Cuiva with you? May I speak to her?" Nimisha said, knowing she didn't need to shout but doing so in her excitement. Tears ran unheeded down her cheeks, and she felt Jon's hand gripping her shoulder in comfort.
She thought she'd expire during the time it took for her message to reach the incoming ship and the answer to get back to her.
"She's in cold sleep. I promised Cuiva not to wake her until her birthday morning, Nimisha," Caleb replied. "She's also a junior officer now. She put her travel time to good use."
"Then she has her Necklace with her?"
"Yes, and yours, too."
Nimisha could not restrain her sobs then. "Oh, the dear, dear girl. Oh, my darling Cuiva!"
Jon edged into the second seat and took over.
"Lieutenant Commander Jonagren Svangel speaking. Lady Nimisha is temporarily overcome with joy at your message."
Pause.
"Svangel? Delighted to know that Nimisha has not been alone on that planet."
"Not half as glad as we were, Captain, to see a fresh face, and have the advantages of such a well-equipped ship."
Pause.
"Best ship ever built for this type of duty. Has Meterios departed for Vega III?"
"Captain Meterios and a crew member, gunnery officer Brad Karpla, have been stricken with an unknown, virulent allergic reaction to local vegetation. Medical advice has put them in cold sleep until they can receive treatment."
Pause.
"How long has Meterios been in sleep?"
"Since this morning, Captain Rustin."
Pause.
"She had orders to return immediately to Vega as soon as she had found Lady Nimisha and established her well-being, Captain."
"Lady Nimisha pointed this out, but Meterios felt obliged to remain until you had arrived."
Pause.
"Too bad. What of the rest of her crew and the surviving space station personnel?"
"They have all been accommodated in other quarters since their landing here and were not in contact with the affected personnel."
Pause.
"That's fortuitous." Even the distortion of their relative distances did not quite rob the remark of its drollness. "Captain Svangel, I am sending you the necessary data for the Acclarke Helm to return immediately at the fastest possible interstellar speed to Vegan Fleet headquarters. Under the circumstances, it's reassuring to know we have that capability in the Fours. They are much in demand."
"I shall so enter that order in the log and dispatch the Acclarke within the hour."
Pause.
"We shall send a pulse message, announcing the ship is in a quarantine status and must so be regarded. Have Helm answer any hail with that warning."
"Yes, sir. Complying."
Pause.
"Is Lady Nimisha still there, Captain?"
"She is." With that, Jon tactfully removed himself from the cabin to allow them privacy. Nimisha had got over her initial reaction to the long-awaited news, although the brilliance of her eyes told him how excited she was.
"I'm told she has the Necklace with her, is that right, Caleb?"
Pause.
"Yes, it is. Lady Rezalla was determined that Cuiva's own mother would do the honours, and Cuiva voluntarily went into sleep to be sure you were able to follow that tradition."
"Has she changed much since I last saw her?"
Pause.
"You'll notice it." Caleb replied and Jon-though he tried not to listen-heard a chuckle. "She's not a little girl anymore. But I need to know more about the aliens. Nimisha. There's some consternation about that situation, to judge by the messages at the beacon."
"They must be relatively new," she said, "but then, I have to admit we've been pretty busy and don't strip the beacon as often as we should. Then the Acclarke XO told us the beacon had suffered damage so we actually didn't receive earlier messages." She felt a little miffed at Caleb for changing the subject. "The Poolbeg's an exploratory ship, with appropriate crew, and the three survivors had enough training so that we could make a proper contact, according to FSP protocols, when we encountered the Sh'im. That's what they call themselves. Their ship was also caught by the wormhole while they were on an exploratory voyage, hoping to find a new colonial world. So they fall into the same classification humans do. We've managed to adapt speakers to catch their language; some of their sounds are out of our auditory range, but we have established very good working relationships."
Pause.
"We have a semantics expert on board who will be most disappointed," Caleb said and chuckled.
"I doubt it. We haven't got more than basic words, action verbs, and general ethical ideas. No abstract philosophy or much history yet. We're beginning to need better communication on the mechanical level, so they can learn how to manage some of our equipment."
Pause.
"They're that intelligent?"
"They probably have had space travel a lot longer than we humans have," Nimisha said.
Pause.
"Accepted, Lady Nimisha. Now get that quarantined ship off your planet."
Jon slipped back in. "Helm has programmed the Acclarke, Captain. You will be able to see her in the night sky in approximately two hours from my mark." He watched the bridge chronometer. "Mark."