Chameleon Ch 13

“Teegarden’s is sixteen degrees positive Z, and Tau Ceti is fifteen degrees negative Z.” Cerebrus told the captain.

“That cuts that one out of our stop over plans. What else is there?”

“Just beyond Teegarden’s, I cataloged a rogue planet at ten degrees positive Z. It would be a detour of three days with our present velocity and trajectory.”

“What kind of rogue?” Jackson leaned forward in his chair to get a better look at the hologram.

“It is ninety-seven thousand six hundred kilometers in diameter, dark, non-reflective, but emits an infrared heat. I made an error. It is not a planet. It is a brown dwarf.” It rotated slowly in front of their eyes. “I will need to correct the catalog.”

“Shore leave on a star sound fun?” Jackson said to Mr. May, sitting at the pilot’s helm.

“No palm trees on that sucker.”

“That’s a disappointment, to say the least.”

“Captain, if I may,” Cerebrus said. “It has a moon.”

“You mean a planet? Stats.”

“It is forty-eight million kilometers from the dwarf, approximately point three nine of an AU. Axis is only half of one percent and it is tidally locked to the dwarf. Surface temperature 2,550 C day side, 1305 C on night side.”

“Does it have any life forms?” Jackson asked. Cerebrus called up more statistics.

“Unlikely, sir. It has a thin atmosphere of carbon monoxide.”

“Could it have plants without a star?” Jackson asked.

“Yes, however, they would not use chlorophyll but a different kind of energy conversion system,” Cerebrus volunteered. “Plants would be black or purple for photosynthesis. I would hypothesize that neither plants nor animals exist.”

“Does this look like a place anyone wants to explore for a day? It’s pretty dark.” He looked at each man on the bridge.

“It’s irrelevant to me, Captain.”

“Maybe the dark side at the terminator,” the lieutenant said. “It would be like exploring the Outback on the summer solstice. Hot, but manageable with an EV suit.”

Jackson plunked into his chair and stared at the hologram. Ten weeks was about as much as he could take at a time before space crazy started to erode efficiency and working relationships.

“Plot a course and let’s go check it out,” he said. “When we get close enough, send a class three probe to get maximum readings. This will give you a chance to update your cartography records, Cerebrus.” Jackson bid them goodnight and headed for the mess.

Around his table that night, Adams, Chandra, Ferris, Rianya, Quixote, Zalara, and himself exchanged thoughts about the planet around brown dwarf. On the menu, freshly grown, flash frozen Novissimus produce, and vacuum packed, Novissimus grown trout garnered rave reviews from the entire table, except for Zalara.

She was not interested in pan fried trout, but did seem to enjoy the variety of legumes on her plate. She inspected each variety by examining a single specimen first. A pea, a bean, a pod, a nut, each was visually scrutinized and sampled before diving into the item full throttle. A favorite of Dr. Chandra, farmer’s cheese in pureed spinach with some curry, seemed to be her favorite, despite it’s relatively unappealing appearance compared to more identifiable choices.

“Tell us about the shore leave,” Adams said before he started in on his dinner.

“It’s completely optional,” Jackson began. “It’s a planet around a brown dwarf, about as close as Mercury to Sol. It’s tidally locked, and I imagine there’s not much there, but it might be an interesting afternoon.” He speared some fish and decided it was one of Bailey’s better recipes as the flavors bathed his taste buds.

“I believe I’m going to pass this time, given its climate,” Quixote said, somewhat apologetically. Xe’s plate contained three whole fish, heads, tails, and scales, and an abundance of seaweed topped with edamame. Not one to use utensils, the reptile nevertheless handled the fare without difficulty, using xe’s claws to grasp the seafood and take polite bites starting at the head and making xe’s way to the tail fin.

“Do we need EV suits?” Dr. Chandra asked.

“I wouldn’t go without one. I would guess any life is under ground,” Jackson said.

“I’d like to go,” Dr. Ferris said. “Any opportunity to catalog some life forms, EV suit or not.”

“I’m going to sit this one out,” Rianya told the group. “The last time we went to a dark moon we almost lost Zalara.”

“What?” the child said at the sound of her own name.

“You’re not getting off on a place like this.”

“I will if I want to; I just don’t want to,” she said, staring Jackson in the face with indignant autonomy. He opened his mouth to tell her he knew better than she did about alien planets, and then he stopped. With all the others sitting around the table, hearing every word he said twice as loud as anyone else on the ship, he decided to bring it up when they were alone.

“If I were in your shoes,” Adams said, “I wouldn’t be going down there. Everything you’re exposed to the baby is also.”

“I… I realize that,” she stammered. Jackson kept a dead pan expression and focused on his dinner.

“Who else is going?” Ferris asked the captain.

“You’re the only two I know of, so far. Mr. May said he might go.”

“When do we get there?” Chandra wanted to know.

“Two days. I was thinking about Teegarden’s Star but it’s too far off our course.”

“Count me in,” Chandra said to Ferris. They clinked their glasses to seal the pact.

“Can I go?” Zalara asked. All eyes turned to her.

“No. Don’t ask again.” Rianya’s curt answer surprised Jackson. Maybe it was time for some wine and roses before she got more uncomfortable and before they arrived at Tau Ceti.

Tau Ceti, a golden star a bit older and cooler than Sol, but supported a diverse, remarkably Earth-like solar system; planet D was the only one inhabited with multicellular life. Planet C was much warmer, and supported water only at its cooler poles, and in that water lived cyanobacteria and primitive algae. Planet B was not of much interest. Its temperature prohibited anything but robotic mining operations, and even then, the machines were short lived.

A rocky, dead planet orbited nearly at the star’s corona, and two Neptune type gas giants orbited Tau Ceti at ten and twenty AU, much like Saturn and Uranus back home. Human explorers, set up on Tau Ceti shortly after the civilization was forcibly industrialized, had surveyed the system for nearly a decade, and just twelve light years from Earth, the southern hemisphere had recently become a mecca for tourists. Except for the sky at night, it was a twin of Earth, and ignited more human attention than the moon, Mars, or the Centauri Tristar system.

Jackson had been there a few times, in disguise as one of the native humanoids before then. He’d taken mineralogists there his first year in command of the Linus Pauling, and had returned once, shortly before embarking on the pandemic cure quest. Pegasi had set up a nuclear power plant near the biggest shore city. It had instantly transformed the civilization, and not with integrity. But, like the prisoners of Plato’s Cave, electricity lit the darkness and ushered in a permanent new age for the civilization there.

Rianya went back to their quarters with Zalara, but Jackson went to sick bay at Dr. Adams’ request. Once there, they settled in the doctor’s office for a brandy.

“She’s getting prickly,” Adams said before Jackson uttered a word. He didn’t reply but raised his brows and took a sip of the brandy. “She needs a change of scenery but I don’t recommend this dwarf moon.”

“It’s a planet around a brown dwarf. But I agree. I won’t go down without her, though. I don’t think she wants to be alone.”

“Normally I’d say you two could use some apart time but that’s just my fifty-year-old marriage talking. You need to stick with her.” Jackson rubbed at the back of his neck. “So, what’s eating you?” the doc asked.

“Me? Nothing.” He shook his head and had another sip of the brandy. Adams continued to stare at him as if he’d not yet answered. He stared into his glass.

“When have you ever in your life had nothing on your mind?”

“Is it cold in here?”

“Jack…”

“I have a list about a hundred items long, all the time. Where do you want me to start?”

“You wanted to go to Earth, now we’re going to Tau Ceti.” He shrugged. “Vaughn Wiseman has Cetian DNA.”

“So, what?” Jackson had forgotten all about Wiseman, for once.

“Cerebrus?”

“He’s working out okay. He’s got a bit of an ego. Thinks he knows everything, but he’s falling in line.”

“Novissimus?”

“Nothing new there, just part of being the captain.”

“Rianya?” Doc had found it, where the anxiety laid, at home. He wasn’t sure exactly what bothered him, but it was where he didn’t want to spend as much time these days. “Zalara? Honey?” Jackson shook his head. “Another child in your life?” Jackson felt a twinge pinch his stomach. Adams was good.

“Another child on the ship, maybe.” He finished off the buttery, sparkling brown in the rounded glass. “I don’t have time to play with Zalara. I don’t know where I’ll squeeze in another one.” That was it. He’d said it out loud. Adams took another sip from his own glass, and pushed the decanter toward Jackson.

“Another baby, less time for ship’s business, less time with your wife, another person to worry about. I’ve been there.”

“I don’t know how women can do it.”

“They’re the stronger sex,” Adams said plainly. “We men are a pathetic group of insecure actors. You’re pretty good, though. You have a good sense of yourself.”

“Don’t bet on it.” He poured more liquor into the glass. It didn’t settle his stomach, but his nerves began to calm around the edges.

“Jack, you’re still a young man with a lot of living left to do. And kids don’t hold you down. Has Zalara been a burden?”

“Hell no. She saved my life, in more ways than one.”

“Has Rianya been a burden?” Jackson shook his head.

“I don’t even remember my life before her. I mean, I flew jets, like an idiot. I was reckless with a few women, and Karabou. I was space-high for thirty years and I’m burning out.”

“To hell you are.” Jackson looked up at the Adams’ retort. “You’ve entered a new phase of life, that’s all. You went from immature and reckless to be a grounded, exceptional star ship captain with a crew that will put its life on the line for you. Your wife, your daughters, they’re an extension of this new you.”

“I’ve lost my edge, Phil.” He drank the entire dreg in his glass and clunked the empty on the table.

“Bull. You’re just tired, worried, and getting drunk.” He looked up at the twinkling blue eyes. “Go to bed on time. Be affectionate with your wife, before she has an infant in her arms. Play a game with Zalara. Take tomorrow off. That’s my doctor’s orders.”

þ

To Admiral J P Wallace, Space Administration Medical Command

From Captain Thomas K Jackson, Commander, S S Maria Mitchell

Greetings, J. P.

I apologize for not responding more quickly regarding your concerns. I’ve been preoccupied with training our Astronomite. We’ve also come upon a rare astronomical feature. I’ve included a summary regarding both projects. I’m sure you would like to know more about what Anne has told you, which, judging by your reaction, I suspect is an exaggeration on her part.

I can’t be certain of her words to you, but we’ve known each other many years. Be assured I would never take advantage of your daughter under any circumstance. She expressed interest in a relationship that I felt was completely out of the question. I provided no encouragement in any way, in fact, discouraged her in every way.

I wish I didn’t have to bring this to your attention. I can’t attest to what she may have said, but in no way have I compromised her future or our personal relationship of nearly twenty years.

I only wished your daughter a good future. If you would like to discuss anything else, please don’t hesitate. I hope this sheds some light on the situation and alleviates your concerns.

With Respect and Regards,

Captain Thomas K. Jackson

Commander, S. S. Maria Mitchell