Free Infinite Reef by Karl Kofoed Page B

upon to perform his duties. Beside his chair was the tactical helmet that allowed virtual reality instead of just a viewscreen. He might have put the helmet on, but he knew that would automatically arm the weapons system and put the computer into tactical mode. Then he noticed that it was secured with a silver cord and a coded lock. “No war games today, I guess,” he muttered as Diver’s engines started up.
    The viewscreen over the forward windows blinked on. The outside cameras, set to mimic the forward view, now showed only stars. One of them, Alex mused, could be the sun. Almost unseen at the right side of the screen was the shadowy rim of Lalande b. He noticed it only because a lightning flash on its cloudy surface was brighter, for a moment, than the red dwarf Lalande that lay centered at the top of the screen.
    Clearing the shuttle bay doors, Diver’s computer turned the ship to parallel the surface of Goddard , and they began to move forward slowly. The great ship filled the left half of the viewscreen, a tapering white structure that seemed to trail off into infinity. Everyone was busy but Alex. Matt, just behind him, was muttering to someone on his personal com. Johnny had his bubble lowered, also engaged in private conversation, and Tsu was busy recalibrating the ship’s navigational trackers.
    Even Mary was busy, establishing multiple radio links with Goddard .
    Only Alex sat idle watching the seemingly endless white hull move slowly by. It looked brand new, completely unblemished by its passage across eight light years of interstellar space. He knew that while under the influence of the gravitational pulse drive the ship traveled in a bubble outside of reality. Particles of dust and other more massive debris would simply not interact with it. But much of Goddard’s travel had been in normal space, and at high speeds. That meant frequent collisions with dust and space debris or ‘dingers’, as spacers called them. Yet, everywhere he looked, the polyceramic plating was pristine.
    Finally the computer brought Diver to a stop. Before them a large domed canopy covered the site of the alien impact. At the apex of the dome was the hole. “I guess this is where we stay,” said Johnny’s voice over the intercom. “No need for me to stay in here until we launch,” he added. With a hiss the black cowl that had covered the Professor’s chair lifted to the cabin ceiling. “Maybe some coffee is in order.”
    “That’s a ding,” said Tsu, peering out the forward window at the billowy structure below them. “Can’t be without our vites.” She turned as Johnny drifted out of his chair in the direction of the food panel. “If you’re takin’ orders, Profy, make mine coffee. Black.”
    “Make that two,” said Alex. “Mary?”
    “Juice blend,” Mary answered. Inky lay contented in her lap, apparently enjoying the weightless environment of the cabin and Mary’s soft stroking of his fur. Inky had spent many hours as part of Diver’s crew. His favorite haunt was the ceiling over Mary’s head.
    The drinks weren’t a problem for the Professor to handle in zero gee. Instead of floating around the cabin delivering drinks, Johnny fired the hot squeezers of coffee and tea like missiles across the cabin.
    Alex caught his coffee and broke the seal.
    “Some music while we’re waiting?” asked Tsu, looking around.
    “What have you in mind, Connie?” asked the Professor, returning to his chair.
    “Hawkwind,” she said and leaned toward her console.
    “Ah, a little twentieth century space rock, eh,” said Matt Howarth. “Not bad. But only if you follow it with some King Crimson.”
    “Don’t know it,” said Alex and Johnny at the same time.
    10 The ethereal throbbing of Hawkwind’s ancient rock sounds wasn’t discordant to Alex, but he did find it more melancholy than invigorating. He was still worried about Mary. It seemed that everything she did gave him reason to assess her well-being. The music