War Angel: part sixty-three

2142- In Orbit Around Pluto

Jack leaned forward against the table, using his arms to brace himself. A small trickle of sweat dripped down his cheek as he studied the faces of the War Angel crew. If pressed to guess at their feelings at that moment, he would have picked “befuddlement.”

“So,” he said, then cleared his throat. “That’s my plan. Thoughts?”

Richard’s mouth opened, but no sound escaped his lips, while Kate leaned back and closed her eyes tightly. Jack swiveled his head to meet Sarah’s gaze, but she quickly looked away. “That’s not a good sign,” Jack thought. He turned to look at Gina, but she was staring at the floor. Wilma did the same. Finally, he gazed at Ben, and Jack felt a strange sense of relief that at least one person was willing to stare back at him. Jack braced himself, certain that Drake was going to offer a straightforward response to the ideas he had just put in front of his crew.

“Jack, this is crazy. Not just garden variety crazy, but seriously crazy, like the kind of crazy that they used to commit to asylums in Earth’s past history. It’s crazy and we’re all going to die trying. It’s that kind of crazy.”

The captain of the War Angel stiffened. “Characteristically blunt, Sounder. But considering that it might just save your father’s life-“

“More likely that we’ll be blown out an airlock with him.”

“I’d think you’d be a little more supportive. Of course, if you have a better idea, now’s the time. We’re on the clock here, in case you forgot. We have a date at Mars in nine hours. So: I’m listening.”

The heads of the crew slowly turned to stare at Ben Drake. The young communications officer noticed that he was suddenly in the spotlight and began shrinking into himself. As it became obvious that he had nothing to offer Jack, the group began turning from him one by one. Finally, Kate leaned forward and stood from her chair. “I think we can do it, Jack.”

“You cannot be serious!” Gina blurted.

Kate ignored her and continued. “We’ll be cutting it close at every stage, but if we execute every piece of it right we can do it.”

“That’s the thing,” Jack said. “We have to execute every step of it perfectly. That means that everybody in this room has to fully commit themselves to it. If some of you can’t, we have no shot. That’s why I’m not doing this as an order; I’m asking you all: are you with me on this? Can you do what I need – what the ship needs – what the Earth needs – you to do?”

Richard took a drink of water and coughed. “I can’t like, Jack. This entire thing terrifies me. I was never meant for this kind of stuff. I don’t know if I can do it.”

Jack walked around the table and knelt down next to Richard. “Clover, honestly, it scares me silly, too.”

“It should!”

“But it’s a chance, man. A chance to regain an advantage against these guys. This works, and we might just win this thing.”

Richard frowned. “You realize I have never done anything like what you’re asking of me, right? And I don’t exactly have time to train.”

Jack stood and slapped his hands on Richard’s shoulders. “I know. But I also know you can. Our success depends on it.”

“No pressure,” Richard muttered.

“Gina?” Jack asked, turning his attention to the ship’s driver. “How about you?”

“Oh, I think it’s crazy, but I have nothing else, so why not? I’m in.”

Jack grinned. “All you have to do is fly in a straight line. Mostly. Sarah?” He looked to his lover and second-in-command, awaiting her response. This he knew would be the toughest moment. Sarah had never been afraid to call Jack out when she felt he was wrong or off-base, and as first officer, it was her job to stop him whenever he was putting the lives of the crew and safety of the ship at risk. It was also her duty to offer him secondary options. They locked eyes, staring at one another for a long moment before she finally inhaled and began to speak.

“I have reservations, of course. The margin for error is nonexistent. Have you considered what happens if this doesn’t work?”

He shrugged. “We all probably die. Likely after we’re tortured horrifically.” Suddenly the tension level around the table went up.

“Not just that, Jack. As far as we know, we’re the only ones out here, Maybe there are pockets of resistance elsewhere, but none of them have what we have,” she said, tapping the table with her knuckles.

“What good does it do to have it and not use it?” he responded.

She nodded. “Understood. I’m just making you aware of the risks. We lose now, this early, and the planet may completely lose in the long run. It isn’t just us on the line here; it’s everything.”

“Then we’d all better do our damned jobs,” he said, gritting his teeth. It took him a second to relax his jaw, and them he softened his voice and stepped back to address the entire group. “Look, in school failure was always a default option. You learn from it and get better. But on this mission, there is no room for it. So I’m asking each of you again: are you in?”

Around the table came nods of assent. Jack smiled. “Excellent. That means we have seven hours left here in which to prepare. Dismissed.”

The crew of the War Angel stood and began filing out of the room, as they did, Jack subtly gestured to Dr. Gray to stick around.

“Captain?”

“Doctor. I have a small mission for you before we get underway.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

He rubbed his temples. “I’d rather they didn’t know about this one, Doctor. Let’s keep it between us for now.”

Jack then laid out in detail what he wanted from Wilma Gray - to her ever-growing horror and dismay - then watched her walk away trying to hold back tears.