Chapter 13: Mutiny

Nyk awakened to the bonging of the warp jump alert. He strapped himself into a jumpseat and awaited the jolt of the jump. “Let’s take a stroll to the bridge,” he said. “We’ll join our captain for our morning tea.”

He approached the door to the captain’s cabin and pressed the chime. “Come.” He walked in. “Good morning, Nykkyo ... Andra. Have a seat.”

Nyk filled a cup with tea from a carafe, picked up a breakfast cake and sat at the captain’s table. “How goes the plotting?” Nyk asked.

“We’re working our way through it.”

“Those samples we brought onboard at Varada,” Andra asked. “Are any of them perishable?”

“We have them on ice,” the captain replied. “They’ll last to planetfall.”

“Are we offloading at Floran?”

“No — next destination.” The captain eyed them. “Our current position is near the Magellanic Clouds.”

“Are we that far outside the galaxy?”

“Yes — it’s the furthest out I’ve ever been in my career. There’s a great view from the observation lounge.”

“We’ll check it out.”

“You have to admit — this IS a great view,” Andra said as she stood with Nyk and looked out the observation dome.

“I didn’t think it was a good idea to express such interest in our cargo,” Nyk said.

“I don’t think we should blithely ignore it, either. Protesting too little can be as suspicious as protesting too much.”

“I’m afraid you’ve aroused his suspicions. Maybe we should hang close to the bridge.”

All right,” she replied and followed him to the lift.

“You are right, Captain. It is a great view.”

“I’m pleased you enjoyed it while you could. We’re about to make another jump.”

Nyk sat on a bench along the rear bulkhead and fastened his restraints. Andra sat beside him.

The jump thudded through the ship. Nyk unhooked his restraints and pulled his vidisplay from his sash. “Still no comm,” he whispered to Andra.

“I have our fix,” the navigator announced.

Nyk strolled to the navigation station and looked at a display of the plan of the galaxy. A flashing green dot identified their position.

The intra-ship comm signaled. “Bridge — engineering. Our primary reactor went off- line.”

“Status?” the captain asked.

“Coolant,” the engineer replied. “We’ll need to radiate heat before we can bring it back on line.”

“Acknowledged. Begin auto reset sequence.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The captain pressed a key for the intra-ship hail. “All crew stand down — at ease for two segments.” He stood and headed toward his cabin.

Zane approached them. “Don’t worry — this is normal.”

“Normal?” Nyk asked.

“Normal for this ship. Our reactor is a bit under-sized.”

“Ah-ha,” Nyk replied. “She COULD benefit from a two-stage reactor.”

“When she was built, two-stagers were cantankerous and dangerous — not like the ones they install today.”

“Why not upgrade her, then?”

“They will,” Zane said, “once the next colony planet is discovered. Until then, we put up with it. This happens whenever we need to charge the coil above eighty percent. We have some time to kill. Shall we go to the lounge?”

“I think we’ll go to our cabin,” Nyk replied.

“Suit yourselves...”

Nyk headed down the corridor toward the cabin. He patted his xarpa. “My vidisplay — I think I left it on the bridge...”

“We’d better go get it,” Andra replied.

He turned, headed onto the bridge and approached the navigator’s post. “Looking for something?” the captain asked.

“My vidisplay.”

“I have it here.” The captain held the display in his left hand and a stun wand in his right. He turned the screen so Nyk could see the images of the barracks. “I’m afraid I’ll have to hold onto this. You two are confined to your quarters.” He signaled his first officer, who approached with a stunner. “Take them to their cabin. Then, prepare to jettison our cargo.” He tossed Nyk’s handheld to his officer. “Jettison this along with them.”

“Yes, Captain. Come along, you two...”

Nyk glanced toward Andra. She pulled her vidisplay from her sash and pressed the touchscreen.

“That won’t do you any good,” the captain said. “We’re too far from the comm net.”

Nyk heard the lift and footfalls. Three green figures darkened the doorway to the bridge.

The crew drew stunners and advanced on them. One crew member pressed a key to sound general quarters. A klaxon echoed throughout the ship.

Mos grabbed the first officer’s arm, wrenched the stunner from his grip and tossed it to Nyk. He dodged a stunner thrust and connected with a yeoman, who went down. The captain charged toward Andra. He touched her abdomen with his stunner. She screeched and fell to the deck.

Mos looked at Andra and glowered at the captain. He charged the officer, who jabbed the fieldworker with his stunner. Mos kept coming. The captain jabbed again — and again. The stunner’s only effect was to enrage him more.

Mos grabbed the captain by the throat and lifted him off his feet. He pressed both thumbs into his windpipe, then dropped the limp body to the deck. Mos then tackled the astral navigator, wrenched the stunner from his hand and threw the man against a bulkhead. He slid to the deck, bleeding from his ears.

“The stunners have no effect on them!” the first officer shouted. Nyk picked up the stun wands and tossed them to the other novonids. Mos was chasing Zane around the bridge.

“Stop, Mos!” Laida shouted. “MOS! STOP!”

“They killed the white one!” Mos shouted.

“No, Mos,” Nyk said. “She’s only stunned.”

Mos stopped and stood, breathing heavily. Nyk and the others rounded up the crew at stunner-point. “Watch them, Mos. I’ll find some rope.”

He returned with lengths of polymer fiber cord and began binding their wrists.

Laida knelt and held Andra. “How is she?” Nyk asked.

“Coming around, I think.”