Dark as Daylight Ch. 17

"How did they meet?"

"He saw her in the cafeteria eating with her friends. What true her to him was her fiery red hair. That's how we started the conversation with her. She was even sure who he was until someone stopped to speak to him, and one of her friends told her."

"How are you supposed to stop something that isn't?"

"It's very easy. I'm going to tell him to have her transferred to Alabama, or Louisiana. Give her a higher position, and a bump in grade."

Rod said, "That will solve his problem in a hurry."

Rosalynn said, "Does anybody want to bet he rejects it?"

"You haven't said if this girl has any feelings for Pat?"

"The most we can get out of her girlfriends is that every time they ask her about him, she blushes."

Rosalynn said, "The girl is smitten with him. You can fake a lot of things, but you can't fake body chemistry. You can't fake a blush. Your blood pressure goes up, and your body temperature rises instantly. Her panties were probably wet, and she squeezed her legs together to keep from dripping. The girl has a bad."

Rose said, "I'm going to tell Patrick, for his own good, that this girl has got to go."

"Watch out for flying objects."

"I will. Goodbye everyone."

They finished their conversations, and planned to meet in Charleston to see the newborn baby girl in short order.

****************

65. Compatibility

"Are you ready, Gordon?"

"Are you sure I need this suit on?"

"When you're finished with Teddy's experiment, I will put you outside again, without a suit, and see how it works out for you."

"I volunteered to do that once before Monty, if it's my time, I will go to Her willingly."

"Uncle Gordon got you big Captain. If God doesn't want him, he could walk in space without a suit. If he is in the safety of this spacecraft, and She wants him, he will go."

"I know little one, I still want to beat him over the head with a baseball bat to put some common sense in there."

"If you are finished jabbering, can I go outside now and catch some 'Dark Energy'?"

"Jack let the garbage out."

"That's not a nice thing to say about your son's godfather."

"I was coerced."

"Depressurizing the ramp. Gordon, did you remember to hook up?"

"Yes daddy, I am hooked up."

"Lowering the ramp. Don't forget to take pictures."

"That is what the helmet cam is for."

"Bridge, what is our distance from Atwater Luck?"

"Captain Oberlin, this is acting Captain Cushing; our distance from Atwater Luck is 2.875 light years, speed 2.132 Light years per hour and increasing."

"What is our heading Mr. Cushing?"

"Our heading is 307.021°, angle of declination 21.708. Our destination is Cygnus X1, Captain."

"Very well Mr. Cushing, keep us advised of our progress."

"That little turd was trying to get a rise out of you Monty."

"He almost got it. However, since it's almost 27,000 light years away, I'm going to have time to play a game with his head and make him a great captain, whether he wants to be or not. I don't know why he's holding back. I know he has the talent, because he's just like I was."

"Would you like a little help with that game?"

"I love when you grin Jack."

"We must inform Callie that this is a drill and take her cues from down here, in engineering, and out from the bridge. Even will love this."

"What do you have in mind?"

"A runaway nuclear reactor, with a fire in engineering to boot. A few people dead, and have Callie fade in and out on him so he must operate the ship manually. The only thing we let him have is Even. Even won't tell him what to do, just nudge him along, because he already knows what to do."

"You old people are downright nasty."

"Hannah tells me that every night in bed."

"I don't want to hear about your sex life."

"Jealous?"

"I just had a baby, and I can't have sex for another 3 weeks. I went without sex for more than 40 years, and it never bothered me. Suddenly, your wife tells me I have a thyroid problem, and I lose 70 pounds. I become desirable, and the man that gets me is a sex fiend. The problem is he turns me into one also. I am so horny, I want to jump him."

"6 weeks is not a hard and fast rule. Have Joe check you out, and if you're healed, jump him."

"I think Gordon's time is up."

"Okay, tell him to close the lid and start pulling himself back in."

"Uncle Gordon, you can close the lid and come back inside now."

"Okay cupcake; I'm sliding the rubber seals into place, rotating the metal lid on, using the vice clamps to tighten it, and putting it into the 2nd container, and repeating the procedure. I'm coming in. You can close the ramp Jack, I am inside."

"Okay Gordon, don't unhook until I have the ramp up, and begin pressurizing."

"Oh Heck, I'm going to have to hook up again."

"I can't say what I want to say, because a little person is standing next to me."

"I am not so little anymore."

"You are correct, Teddy. I apologize. You are a young woman, and you are standing next to me."

"Thank you, Mr. Daniels."

"Gordon, you can enter the clean room."

"On my way."

When he entered main engineering, he handed the vessel to Teddy.

"Well, what are we going to do with this now?"

"I'm going to give it to my mommy. This is what she's going to use to power your new engine."

Jack asked, "Teddy, you can't be sure anything is in there, no less that it will power your mother's new engine."

Teddy smiled, "Before my mommy has her new baby, she will have designed the new engine, with dark energy as its power source. She will believe me, because God told me so. We will go faster than any spacecraft ever has before. As our children grow and move through the universe, they will build larger spacecraft and used dark energy to move faster and faster still. When my baby brother becomes a man, he will do things that will amaze everyone. Uncle Gordon is not finished yet either. He has one more thing to do and it will take him years to do it."

"Cupcake, can you give me a hint at what I'm supposed to do?"

"Uncle Gordon, you remember everything that anyone says to you. I told you what you're going to build and what are you are going to do with it."

"You are correct, so why don't I remember that conversation?"

"Think about it, you will remember."

"Cupcake, you're getting like your mommy."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It means you're becoming beautiful, just like your mommy."

This made Teddy blush, and tied her tongue for a response.

"Callie this is Senior Captain Montgomery Oberlin. We are beginning the drill testing the people on the bridge for their reactions. All command functions are now to be taken from engineering only."

"Instructions understood Captain Oberlin. Captain Luck is very interested in the outcome."

"Let's begin the drill. Dragon: simulate explosion in main engineering. Three people dead, including Captain Oberlin several injured, fire out of control. Begin.

On the bridge, everything was going along normally, when several alarms rank off at once.

"Captain, we have been explosion in main engineering. There is also a fire, suppression systems are working but the fire is out of control."

"All hands this is the captain, security proceed to main engineering and assist with fire control. All secondary fire control personnel proceed to your fire control stations and put on your fire control gear just in case you are needed. Captain out."

"Callie what is the situation in main engineering?"

"Captain, Captain Oberlin is dead along with two engineers who were close to the explosion area. Chief engineer Jack Daniels is severely burned, but still leading the fire teams in an attempt to control the fire which is not going well. Captain Gordon Luck is attempting to reroute circuitry that was damaged in engineering that controls the computers. If he is not successful, we will go off-line in less than twenty minutes. You will have to run the ship manually. Life-support systems will continue to run normally for one hour and fifteen minutes. After that, they will stop functioning and everyone must put on their oxygen masks."

"Thank you, Callie, keep me informed please."

"I will Captain."

"Helm, turn us for home, full speed ahead."

"Roger Captain, reversing course to heading 125.022°, angle of inclination 021°. The spacecraft is turning."

"Thank you helm."

**************

"Callie, senior captain Oberlin, Dragon: simulate runaway nuclear engine. Execute."

"Captain Cushing the nuclear engine is in a runaway mode. I am attempting to shut it down."

"Thank you, Callie. What the hell could go wrong next?"

"Captain, life-support is at minimum."

"Main bridge to engineering."

"Daniels here Captain, Andrew not going to like what I have to say."

"Just say it Jack. Are we going to lose the ship?"

"I don't believe so. The fire is almost under control, but Gordon has just entered the nuclear containment unit. We couldn't eject the nuclear core. He's going in there to try and release the cables manually. We will have minimum power to get back home, if we can get back home."

"I am driving the ship as fast as she will go. We are 1.7 ly from Atwater luck now. Depending upon when Gordon releases the nuclear core, and how far we glide in space from that point, we will make it home. The question is life-support. It is at minimum now; can you keep it online?"

"I'm not even sure if I can keep the computers online much longer, Captain. It all depends on when I get the damned fires out. As soon as that happens my damage control parties will get to work on it."

"Okay Jack, I'm going to close down the fourth and fifth levels and turn off life-support to them. It may save us some time."

"Good thought Captain, the only thing I have to do is get to the controls to do it."

"Let me know if you're successful, I will evacuate the floors as a precaution."

"Aye Aye Captain."

"Attention all personnel on levels four and five, this is the captain. Evacuate to levels two and three immediately. We will be sealing those levels off and removing life-support within the next five minutes. Move swiftly and calmly to levels two and three immediately. Captain Cushing out.

"Callie, this is Senior Captain Oberlin, Dragon: Go to red on the main bridge. Simulate loss of life support."

The life-support alarms went off, and they lights on the bridge indicated less than three minutes of breathable air was left in the ship.

Cushing yelled to the bridge crew, "Life-support is gone. Put your auxiliary life-support systems on now, and belt yourselves in. Things could get very rough from here."

"Attention all hands, life-support is gone. Find an auxiliary life support system and put it on. This is not a request do it now."

Jack asked, "He's done very nicely for someone who does not want to be a captain. Why don't we give him one more thing, before we end this simulation?"

"What did you have in mind Jack?"

"A meteor he can't steer around, using normal methods. Let's see if he can dance on his feet."

"Jack, you downright mean."

"I have been called much worse, by better people than you."

He scampered out of the way quickly, so he didn't get hit.

"Callie, this is Senior Captain Oberlin. Dragon: simulate loss of main steering. Asteroid 2 o'clock position 11 million miles, with collision time 97 seconds. Let's see if he can remember how to turn this vessel, without the magnetic engines."

Even Luck said, "You better never tell anyone that I was the worst person you ever knew. I will have them put mirrors in front of you everywhere you turn. Are you trying to give that boy a heart attack?"

"Even climb back into your shell and shut up. I'm trying to make this man into a captain. He's been avoiding it for years. He has more than enough talent, he just doesn't want the responsibility."

"I remember someone like that."

"Shut up Even. Callie execute the commands."

"Commands executed."

"Captain, the nuclear engine is off-line, and we have lost the magnetic engines. We will continue moving at our current speed of 3.7 ly per hour for infinity as per Newton."

"You had to tell me that you. What is the other part of Newton's theory?"

"You continue moving, until you hit something that is going the other way."

"With the way things have gone today, that's the next thing I expect to hear."

"Captain, I wish you hadn't said that."

"Oh shit. What is it Tom?"

"Meteor 2 o'clock, 11 million miles, collision course, ninety-seven seconds. Without steering we can't get out of its way."

"Engineering this is the bridge."

"Daniels, go ahead Captain."

"Is there any possibility of getting me the magnetic engines back online within the next ninety seconds?"

"Yes captain, there are two possibilities: Slim, and None."

"I will take the Slim possibility, because in eighty-four seconds, we are going to be visited by an asteroid which is going to wipe us out of existence. Is Teddy down there?"

"Teddy was one of the first three people killed."

"God must have wanted another angel. Do what you can Jack, otherwise shall be counting another forty people in seventy-two seconds."

"I'll do what I can, but I'm also going to be praying."

"So am I. Bridge out."

"Callie, are you online?"

There was no answer.

"Does anyone on the bridge have any thoughts on how to turn us away from this monster?"

Harvey looked around the bridge, and saw blank faces.

"Engineering this is the bridge."

"Daniels Captain."

"Any news?"

"I have plenty of news Captain, but none of it's good."

"Jack, we have seventeen seconds remaining, before that thing hits us. Will the Ion/H2 engines work?"

"I'm not sure Captain?"

"Okay Jack, I'm going to fire units one, three, and five to turn us on our side, and then all six of them to push us out of the way. I'm doing it now."

"Helm, fire ion engines 1,3, and 5 for 3 seconds at full power, and then all six engines at full power until I tell you to stop execute."

Monty said to Harvey, "If you look at your display, you been dead for thirteen seconds. You made the right decision, and you didn't need Jack to give you advice. Just do it when you are faced with a life and death decision, Mr. Cushing. You passed your test, Captain. Why the hell did you wait so long to do it."

"Why aren't you dead? I take it Teddy's not dead either. There was no fire in the engine room, and none of the control input were ever executed from the bridge. Am I correct, Callie?"

"Captain Cushing, Doctor Luck now states that Captain Oberlin is the meanest person he has ever known. She put you through a test that would have broken any person unequipped mentally, physically, or metaphysically. Captain Oberlin was so angry with him she ordered him back into his chip."

"How can you order a dead person around?"

"Harvey, how did we break the speed of light?"

"It can't be done. Einstein said so, and every reputable scientist on earth said so. However, at this moment, we are moving at 3.8 light-years per day, not per year, per day. Something happens to the space/time continuum, when we pass through the Oort cloud that changes all our mathematical knowledge. If Mrs. Thyme's children can change Edwin Hubble's constant, because of what they see from here, there is no telling what other changes there are to be in this universe."

"Captain, asteroid bearing 357°, 17 million miles, speed 98,000 mph, angle of declination 47°. Impact nine seconds."

"Still part of my drill, Captain Oberlin?"

"If you do not turn this spacecraft Captain Cushing, we will all be space junk very soon."

"Helm, turn left heading 275°, angle of inclination 30°, execute."

"Helm is answering, ship is turning, the asteroid is in sight. Captain, one day we should land on one of those things and test them for minerals everyone says they're made of. It might be very interesting."

"Do you know how long it would take us to slow down from this speed to land on one of those?"

Gordon said, "We've done it once before, Captain Oberlin."

"Why isn't he in the nuclear containment unit, Captain?"

"Mr. Cushing, you've just repeated my favorite prayer."

"Captain Oberlin, where would your life be without me?"

"If Zoey wouldn't kill me, for killing you, it would be very peaceful."

"Your life has never been peaceful, and you wouldn't know what to do with the word, 'peace', if it struck you in the face."

"Uncle Gordon, Captain Oberlin, pray, one hour, not being nice. You must set a good example for everyone else, or everyone else will start arguing like the two of you. I will meet you in the chapel when we land."

Harvey Cushing said, "There is no doubt in my mind who the real leader of this marvelous group of people is."

Gordon replied, "She's only thirteen, Harvey, just wait until she grows up."

"Everyone adores her."

"Can you blame them?"

"No, not at all."

Teddy said, "Captain, if you don't start slowing us down, we are going to be in Andromeda before you can make the turn."

"Did you look at the star charts to figure that out, Teddy?"

"I didn't have to look at the charts. You left us on a heading of 275°, and an angle of inclination of 30° from a point 22.76 light years from Atwater Luck. At that angle, we are increasing our distance from home exponentially."

"I dislike Delicious Thyme's children more everyday."

"Get used to it, Mr. Cushing, because they are only children, and children have a habit of growing up into being adults. Now, turn the ship around and get us home."

Harvey Cushing asked, "Teddy Thyme, how would you like to be a captain trainee? According to your uncle Gordon, you're no longer a baby, but a young woman. That allows you to sit in the seat, instead of the seat alongside this. Do you think you're ready to train to be a captain?"

"I was ready when I was 8, Captain Cushing. Grandpa taught me how to do it."

"I hate myself. Get in the chair, Teddy, tell Callie your full name, and you are the acting captain."

"Hello Callie, this is your friend, Teddy, are you feeling good today?"

"Hello Teddy, I am working within nominal parameters, and my sisters and I welcome you."

"Grandpa, you in there?"

"Where else would I be sweetheart?"

"I miss you."

"I miss you, times three."

"Callie, this is Teddy Thyme I am acting captain in training."

"Do you agree Captain Cushing?"

"I agree, Callie."

"Helm turn right heading 025° angle of inclination 015°."

"Captain, turning right heading 025° inclination 015°.

Harvey asked, "What are you doing, Teddy?"

"Watch and learn."

"Oh no, not another one!"

The End

Dark As Daylight

Chapter 17

by

Prolonged_Debut10

Dear friends and readers, I am working at a much slower pace because of my illness, but I am still working. It is hard to keep my thoughts in order, and I am constantly going over my notes to make sure I am not stepping on my own toes. In the next chapter I am going to close out many segments of the story, and hopefully close the story totally in the following one. I can't promise you when it will be, but as long as I can write I will continue to do so.

Bob