Morning Song: A Seeders Universe Novel by Dean Wesley Smith Page A
Authors: Dean Wesley Smith
Tags: Fiction
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give you a quick training in the station’s use,” Roscoe said.
“Perfectly safe,” Maria said.
He squeezed her hand and as they felt each of their friends come on line and spend a moment learning the station, she and Roscoe kept learning, taking in every detail of the big ship.
Before she could not imagine the scale of the ship. Now it all seemed clear and logical and useful.
“Notice we have no mission statement or history,” Roscoe said as they waited the few moments it was taking for everyone to get trained.
“I did,” she said.
On the screen in front of them, Morning Song replied to his statement.
That information will be supplied after you have control
of Morning Song and have all safe.
Your training will take some time.
“Thank you again, Morning Song ,” Maria said.
Again the first message faded and a second message appeared.
You are again welcome.
“Everyone is now on task,” Roscoe said a moment after Maria sensed that the stations in the big room were manned and functioning.
“Please monitor your stations carefully,” Maria said. “Big screen is coming up.”
The entire wall beyond their thin blue monitoring screen became a screen showing space ahead of Morning Song .
Then Maria had the blue monitoring screen lowered and both her and Roscoe’s heads-up displays appeared.
They were still holding hands, but Maria and Roscoe both knew that would not bother them in the slightest. In fact, it was critical to them staying in contact and working as a unit. All of their commands and actions would be through either Morning Song or the crew around them.
“We’re going to flip Morning Song 180 degrees,” Roscoe said. “Fisher, stay with me on this. Everyone, monitor your stations. Shout if the slightest thing gets out of line.”
“Understood,” Fisher said.
“Morning Song,” Roscoe asked. “You understand what is needed?”
Yes.
Maria said, “Callie, please contact Chairman Ray. Tell him we are in control of Morning Song and to have all ships stay out of the way until we are finished. Link him into the monitors in here, but please do not put through his audio. Tell him of that restriction so he won’t worry.”
“Understood,” Callie said.
Maria watched and monitored everything closely as Roscoe and Morning Song took the big ship and eased her over so that her engines were now facing in the direction of flight. Morning Song itself did most of the maneuver, but it could not have done it without Roscoe’s mind and skill as a pilot.
Maria could see Fisher watching closely from his station.
Maria knew that this wonderful ship had taken almost four hundred years to climb to this rate of speed. Now they had to slow it much, much faster if they had any hope of saving millions of lives.
Any hope at all.
“We’ll get it done,” Roscoe said, clearly sensing her worry.
But they both knew that the Morning Song was not meant for such intense braking. They would not have it stopped before they plowed into Fisher and Callie’s home world.
But they had other options.
TWENTY-SIX
“COMPLETE,” FISHER SAID. “Engines are now facing in the direction of travel.”
“Engines coming on line,” Maria said.
“Bring the engines up to full power slowly,” Roscoe said. “Everyone, monitor your stations closely. Take your time.”
Roscoe couldn’t believe that he and the intelligence that was Morning Song had just done a very difficult maneuver. He had always considered himself a good pilot, but flying this ship would have been far beyond him. You don’t just flip a ship the size of a moon 180 degrees with chances of tearing it apart.
Maria squeezed his hand and he could sense her worry as well. And her excitement.
He could almost feel her monitoring the engines as he was, beside him completely in all areas of the ship.
The engines were powering up, slowly at first, then as they stabilized after such a long voyage, their power
“Perfectly safe,” Maria said.
He squeezed her hand and as they felt each of their friends come on line and spend a moment learning the station, she and Roscoe kept learning, taking in every detail of the big ship.
Before she could not imagine the scale of the ship. Now it all seemed clear and logical and useful.
“Notice we have no mission statement or history,” Roscoe said as they waited the few moments it was taking for everyone to get trained.
“I did,” she said.
On the screen in front of them, Morning Song replied to his statement.
That information will be supplied after you have control
of Morning Song and have all safe.
Your training will take some time.
“Thank you again, Morning Song ,” Maria said.
Again the first message faded and a second message appeared.
You are again welcome.
“Everyone is now on task,” Roscoe said a moment after Maria sensed that the stations in the big room were manned and functioning.
“Please monitor your stations carefully,” Maria said. “Big screen is coming up.”
The entire wall beyond their thin blue monitoring screen became a screen showing space ahead of Morning Song .
Then Maria had the blue monitoring screen lowered and both her and Roscoe’s heads-up displays appeared.
They were still holding hands, but Maria and Roscoe both knew that would not bother them in the slightest. In fact, it was critical to them staying in contact and working as a unit. All of their commands and actions would be through either Morning Song or the crew around them.
“We’re going to flip Morning Song 180 degrees,” Roscoe said. “Fisher, stay with me on this. Everyone, monitor your stations. Shout if the slightest thing gets out of line.”
“Understood,” Fisher said.
“Morning Song,” Roscoe asked. “You understand what is needed?”
Yes.
Maria said, “Callie, please contact Chairman Ray. Tell him we are in control of Morning Song and to have all ships stay out of the way until we are finished. Link him into the monitors in here, but please do not put through his audio. Tell him of that restriction so he won’t worry.”
“Understood,” Callie said.
Maria watched and monitored everything closely as Roscoe and Morning Song took the big ship and eased her over so that her engines were now facing in the direction of flight. Morning Song itself did most of the maneuver, but it could not have done it without Roscoe’s mind and skill as a pilot.
Maria could see Fisher watching closely from his station.
Maria knew that this wonderful ship had taken almost four hundred years to climb to this rate of speed. Now they had to slow it much, much faster if they had any hope of saving millions of lives.
Any hope at all.
“We’ll get it done,” Roscoe said, clearly sensing her worry.
But they both knew that the Morning Song was not meant for such intense braking. They would not have it stopped before they plowed into Fisher and Callie’s home world.
But they had other options.
TWENTY-SIX
“COMPLETE,” FISHER SAID. “Engines are now facing in the direction of travel.”
“Engines coming on line,” Maria said.
“Bring the engines up to full power slowly,” Roscoe said. “Everyone, monitor your stations closely. Take your time.”
Roscoe couldn’t believe that he and the intelligence that was Morning Song had just done a very difficult maneuver. He had always considered himself a good pilot, but flying this ship would have been far beyond him. You don’t just flip a ship the size of a moon 180 degrees with chances of tearing it apart.
Maria squeezed his hand and he could sense her worry as well. And her excitement.
He could almost feel her monitoring the engines as he was, beside him completely in all areas of the ship.
The engines were powering up, slowly at first, then as they stabilized after such a long voyage, their power
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