Alien Shore Chapter Four

GRID Traveler Trinity: Alien Shores
Author: J Carrell Jones
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Chapter 4

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Haul away the bowline; the Yankee ship’s a rollin’. Once I had a Yankee girl, and she was such a daisy. Once I had a Scotch girl, and she was fat and lazy. Then I had an English girl, and she was tall and crazy, Haul away! Haul away! Haul away, Joe!

(Tack and Sheet shanty, before 1812)

Chapter 4

Loggar, Kurp, Milkens and Herb stood just inside an overhang that overlooked the landing pad. Sean said he would meet them in ten minutes. Loggar remembered the first time she was with Sean when he piloted a shuttle to the surface. Robin was in the co-pilot seat and screamed just as loudly as she had. Sean flew that craft by the seat of his pants. He asked if either of them got motion sickness. Both said no and he dropped the shuttle into the atmosphere, came in hot and glided the shuttle in dead stick. Once on the surface he laughed and said he wanted to do it again. So, when Sean said ten minutes, she was sure he meant ten minutes.

Quock and Collins accompanied Sean to the surface. He asked if either got motion sickness. They looked at each other and laughed. Sean dropped the shuttle into the atmosphere. He came in hot and glided the shuttle, dead stick, near the landing pad. About a kilometer from the pad he hit the retros, increased shield strength, barrel-rolled several times and stood the shuttle of its rear before he dropped the nose and came in for a soft landing. Quock and Collins heard of the Captain’s piloting skill but this was the first time they witnessed it personally. Sean blushed when both women laughed and spontaneously applauded.

Loggar held her breath when she saw the shuttle barrel roll in, stand up and suddenly drop to a landing. She felt sorry for whomever was in the craft with Sean. She and the others walked to the shuttle as its doors opened. Loggar saw her darling Sean, in his uniform with Captain’s insignia, with two very pretty women. She guessed one was a civilian and the other some sort of combat, maybe security, personal. She ran the last few steps and embraced Sean in a long lovely hug. Then she turned her attention to his companions.
Sean said, “Kathy, this is Dr. Karen Collins, Johnson’s Senior Medical Officer, and Lieutenant Nikki Quock, Head of Johnson’s Security. Sean said his hellos to Kurp, Milkens and Herb. He noticed that Herb was, maybe, a size smaller. “Herb, did you lose some weight?”
Herb beamed and said, “Yep, fifty pounds and I feel great, down to a Large now.
Loggar shook both their hands. “Sean, we have learned so much since you left. Tonight we have planned a celebration dinner.”
Sean frowned, “I’m not sure we’ll be able to do any celebrating. Did you know the Webster has been ordered here as well?”
“The Webster? Robin?”
He nodded.
“Interesting.”
“Also, we intercepted a message sent to the Webster. It was on a very tight beam and encrypted with a Level 9 protocol.”
Loggar stood still for a moment. She had to catch her breath. A second ticked by, then two, then the realization kicked in. “Someone in GRID Command wants what we have.”
Sean slowly nodded, “Possibly. It may also be a power move as well. I have to get you on the Johnson. You four have one hour to get ready.” Kurp spoke up, “Now young man, do you think it necessary that we make such a hasty move? I was going to run a sim on the latest data . . . ”
Sean shook his head. “If I’m wrong we’ll be back in time for that celebration. The Webster is due here in another three hours, but I got a gut feeling we don’t have that much time. How many personnel do you have?”
Loggar said, “Ten, including us four.”
Quock spoke up, “Captain, if you trust them then one of the other six or all six are spies. I think we should leave the others.”
Sean thought over the ramifications of that action. Leave the others sounded sane enough, but what if the spy wasn’t a spy per say. GC had invested a great deal of time and expense in this dig. Maybe they wanted a more accurate account on the goings on here. Someone knew, had to know, that Loggar’s reports were not completely truthful. And then there was Robin’s involvement. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms. He kicked her off his ship and that had to leave a stinging mark on her ego. Sean sighed. There could have been half a dozen what ifs, maybes, probably could’ve-would’ve-should’ve beens. “Who do you trust, Kathy?”
“Well, you and whoever you tell me to trust, Herb, Milkens and Kurp, of course. I thought I could trust Robin.”
“And the other six?”
“They’re all highly competent. I trust Marie, Dennis, and Tony. Gordon reminds me of Randals . . .”
Herb laughed.
“. . . and Myra and Ashley are a bit too quiet.”
“Your call, but we need to move now.”
Loggar thought for a moment. “We need to take Maria – she’s in charge of the Nanobot project. And Tony is her assistant. Gordon is the language expert . . . oh Sean, I can’t make that decision.”
He nodded, “Okay, assemble everyone but tell them nothing. Herb, Kurp and Milkens can get started on a quick pack.” He looked at them. “Stuff the shuttle with what you can. We leave in five-zero minutes.”

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