Journey Beyond the Sea - 15. Chapter 15

The ice pack loomed before Vespris once again. Their return to the scene of the attack filled the ship with a certain sense of anxiety; but while the edginess was obvious in the way everyone carried themselves, it also seemed tempered by their newfound trust in Bzup. The little alien had found a place among them, and the crew of Vespris looked out for their own.

"The small inlet where we were beset by the orx is before us," Master Terpin told them at lunch that day. Everyone had turned out for the meeting. The mess hall had become the preferred location for gatherings, being more spacious and having more tables than the meeting room behind the bridge. With their visitors aboard, Vespris was over her normal complement of crew just now, and the meeting room was cramped for the number now present.

"But I have no intention of going in there again," the master finished.

"I wouldn't," Mikulsa said, shaking his head. "No use tempting fate a second time."

"Scans are clear," the master continued, acknowledging what the bearded man had said with a quick nod of his head. "But they were clear last time, until they were not."

"I don't think they'll pull the same thing twice," Mister Sharples said. "After seeing how the deck here is covered by laser fire, they would have to know it would be pointless to try to take the ship that way again." He smiled at Mikulsa, and Hans Kim, who was also in attendance. "The presence of the Raptor on deck will also give them pause for thought."

"But will they even know that Vespris is the same ship they attacked before?" Pora Unguda asked. "Orx hunters all look alike, save for their designations on the bow and stern."

"It won't matter," the engineer countered. "The presence of the Raptor will be the deciding factor this time."

"If they have sensors even half as good as what we used to have, they'll have some idea of my ship's capabilities," Hans said. "The Raptor is shielded, but the old sensors were incredibly competent on an inferential level." He pointed in the direction of the bow. "And after this meeting, I want to go back aboard, to be in readiness...just in case."

"I hope we won't need your help," Nita said, looking flustered. "We don't want to start shooting."

The pilot smiled. "The weapons system on my ship is AI-driven, and cannot be used to just open fire indiscriminately." His eyes flicked momentarily to Mikulsa, who caught the look and frowned. But Kim's gaze immediately returned to Nita. "There are threat-assessment protocols, and there must be genuine cause to open fire."

Mister Sharples looked askance at that. "I've read about those systems. They are frighteningly fast to respond, due to their quantum makeup. It's not like they will stop someone from taking a pot-shot at something if the threat-level is met, even if the threat itself is not ongoing."

The pilot nodded. "True. But there is also myself to figure into any situation, and I am not about to shoot on a whim."

Mikulsa finally managed to smile. "Mister Kim is along because he has been an active part of the restoration process of the Raptor and its systems, and because he is one of the best pilots Colonial Administration has to offer, and because...because he is an avowed pacifist." The man sighed. "It was felt it would be best if our party was made up of a scientific element, an action element, and someone who would provide a calming hand on things should they get, um, interesting."

Mister Sharples let out a surprised grunt. "Really, now?" But then he grinned at Mikulsa. "There's your reputation, getting in the way again."

The bearded man looked briefly irritated. "I never act without thinking, Mister Sharples. And while I do sometimes act quickly and without worrying about whose feelings might get hurt, I never act in any way that is not in the best interests of the colony."

"Or, what you think is the best interests of the colony?" Deera hazarded.

"I'm almost always right in my actions," Mikulsa defended. "My record speaks for itself."

Master Terpin waved a hand. "Let's not get back to that. I am convinced that everyone here wants this situation to go well for both sides."

Kel raised a hand then, and the master nodded at him.

"My great uncle can be abrasive and very sure of himself," the redhead said, smiling at the bearded man. His gaze moved slowly around the table. "But there are thousands of people on Benteen who owe their continued safety to his efforts. No one has ever disputed his abilities there."

Mikulsa blinked in surprise, and then smiled at his great nephew. "Your mother would have other ideas, I think."

"I don't." Kel shook his head. "Mom says you're the best thing that ever happened to perimeter security. Since you took over that position, accidents and deaths on the wall watch have dropped to virtually zero. That means a great deal to those that man the walls, and to their families. People feel safe and secure with you doing what you're doing." He laughed. "Even if they get mad sometimes at the way you do it!"

"Your mother said that?" The bearded man's eyes held amazement.

"Yes." Kel smiled. "She's proud of you, despite how annoyed she gets with you. She says you're mean and aggravating and way too sure you're always right, but that that's just what your job requires. She said when Bern Henson had the job, he was easy to get along with, and didn't push, and that people got killed on the wall duty, because they were too relaxed." He gave a little sigh. "She told me to do everything I could to help you."

"Bern Henson is a good man."

Kel nodded. "He is. But not the right man for the job. You are."

Mikulsa closed his eyes a moment. "Human beings are unruly creatures, each wanting his or her own way. It sometimes takes a pure bastard to keep them in line."

"If not carried to extremes," Mister Sharples said quietly. But he nodded then. "We have decided to trust you, Mister Mikulsa. That means something to us. I hope it means as much to you."

Jem stared at the engineer, amazed by his revelation that he trusted Mikulsa. He looked over at Nico, who just offered a quick shrug. I don't know!

Master Terpin offered a quiet laugh. "I think all of us have come to understand the importance of what we are doing. No one is going to jeopardize this action without cause."

Til majors, seated beside Jem, and for the first time without his cane, offered a sigh, as if he had been holding his breath. "So, what's the next move?"

Master Terpin turned his gaze to Bzup, who was standing between Jem and Nico. "We are extending our trust to our other visitor, as well. Bzup says we should head east now. We will do that, slowly, and with all sensors out. And then...I guess we wait for him to tell us something else, or for his people to act."

Jem turned to Bzup. "Go east from here?"

"Yez. Eazt."

Moira raised a hand. "I'd like to get back to bed for a few hours, if we're done here."

"I won't adjourn this meeting until everyone has had a say, but I see no reason you can't go now. If any decisions are made that affect you, I'll be sure to let you know."

"Oh, great!" Moira rose and waved around at everyone. "I'll see everyone later."

There was a moment of silence after her leaving.

"Anyone have anything else to add?" Master Terpin asked then.

Nico raised a hand. "How will we handle orx hunts, should an orx present himself now?"

The master shook his head. "There will be no more alerts for the time being. Moira is aware of this for the night shift, as well. We cannot afford to be distracted by a hunt, nor caught unawares because of one. Our freezers are close to full, and I don't see hunting as a priority at this time." A trace of a smile crept into the man's eyes. "There's always the trip home."

"So, our focus will be entirely on meeting with Bzup's people?" Til asked.

"Yes. We're going to be diplomats, instead of hunters, until further notice."

Nico breathed a sigh of relief, and grinned at Jem. Jem found his friend's hand underneath the table and squeezed it warmly, feeling the same sense of excitement. What an amazing voyage this had become!

"Probably a good idea," Til said then, quite calmly. "But I think we should consider contacts with orx from here on in as possibly more dangerous than the norm."

"There is that," the master agreed quietly.

Mister Sharples turned to the Raptor pilot. "Mister Kim, I take from what you said earlier that you will not be prepared to open fire from your ship without severe provocation?"

"That's correct. Raptor's are among the best exploration vehicles ever devised. They are far from being flimsy machines. And, they have a few surprises built into them." He sighed. "At the same time, we don't want to lose one of our few vehicles that can put up a fight. Another Raptor is close to coming back online in Hennessy even as we speak. But for the moment, my craft is our primary defense. I will not be easily provoked, but we also cannot afford to lose the vehicle." He shrugged. "I'll just have to play it by ear."

The engineer's eyes widened ever so slightly. "I hope you have a fine appreciation for music, then."

The pilot laughed. "I play a very tolerant violin, sir."

Mister Sharples blinked, and then looked happy. "A thinking man's instrument! Very well, then." He turned back to Master Terpin. "The ship is ready for what may come. I've done a full check on all systems, and the modifications we discussed are all online."

Til sat forward at that. "Modifications?"

The master's eyes flicked almost too rapidly to be seen in Bzup's direction. "Let it suffice to say that the ship is ready for action, Mister Majors."

Til frowned, but nodded his head. "Very well, sir." He gently cleared his throat. "On another front, I want to be approved for at least some light deck duty again. I am able to get around without my cane now, Moira has allowed me to return to my cabin, and I would really rather not just be sitting around doing nothing."

"I received your status change," the master said, nodding. "I have already approved you for light duty." He leaned forward on the tabletop. "This new freedom does not extend to you wrestling with angry orx again, do you understand?"

There were smiles around the table at that. Til grinned, and nodded. "They're one up on me, and I owe them some payback. But I'll refrain from antagonizing them for the time being."

"Very well. You are returned to the duty roster, with the accent on the light." The master's eyes circled the table. "Anyone else?"

"Will there be any schedule changes?" Pora Unguda asked. "It seems wise to me that we all not be in bed after dark."

"I'm glad you mentioned that. I think there should be at least four more of us on night duty, so that Moira is not alone on shift, and so other functions can be carried out. Before I make up a roster, is there anyone that would like to volunteer?"

Mya raised her hand. "No more orx hunts, right?"

"That's correct." The master's eyes smiled again.

"Then I really have an open schedule, and wouldn't mind working the graveyard shift for a while."

Kel raised his hand then. "I'll do it. The deck arms are fully loaded, and with no hunts to worry about, I won't be needed on stand-by duty." He laughed. "If something happens, I'll be awake, anyway, I'm sure."

Pora sighed, and raised a hand. "My duties do not require any particular shift to complete, so I'm free, too. I'll volunteer." He nodded at Kel. "Like he says, if something happens, it's not like anyone will be sleeping through it, anyway!"

The master nodded, and looked around the table. "Anyone else? Mila?"

The tech looked surprised; but then she laughed. "Okay, I'll volunteer. I've done everything Mister Sharples wanted of me, so I'm at loose ends just now, too."

Master Terpin looked pleased. "Wonderful. I hate ordering people to change shifts." He gave a little sigh of contentment. "Let the log show that Mya Omari, Kel MacAfee, Pora Unguda, and Mila Stern are temporarily assigned to night duty, with the accompanying premium in pay."

Deera Stanper laughed. "No one said there was was extra credit involved!"

That brought more laughter.

"Too late!" Master Terpin said cheerfully. He folded his hands in front him on the tabletop, and nodded to those selected for the night watch. "I would suggest you four go off-duty immediately, then. Perhaps a nap will ease the transition. If anything else occurs before the night shift, you will be notified."

"We may not even need to be on the night shift for long," Mya pointed out. "If things happen quickly, I mean."

Master Terpin nodded. "True. This is simply a precautionary measure, in the event the chase is an extended one." His eyes did a final circle of the table. "Can I call this meeting concluded?"

There were no objections, and people started getting to their feet to go.

"I'll be aboard my ship, if you need me," Mister Kim told the master, in passing.

"Very well. Thank you." The master turned then, and his gaze sought out Jem. "Wait a second, please?" he called. "Nico, you as well."

The boys stood beside Bzup as the others filed out of the mess, most already engaged in speculation about what might come next. Nita and Ana went out talking together, but Jem noticed that Varin Mikulsa remained behind, watching them.

Master Terpin came around the table to stand beside the boys, and then nodded at the bearded man "You should be in on this as well, Mister Mikulsa."

"I don't mean to pry," the man said, circling the table, too. "I just want to be included in anything that goes on."

"I know." The master waved a hand dismissively. "I should have mentioned you, as well."

The tall master of Vespris put a hand on Jem's shoulder. "I think it important that Bzup be close to the bridge now as we proceed east. Reaction time may become an important matter soon, and I don't want to have to summon you lads from your cabin, and Bzup from the catch room, in a moment where quick decisions may be called for." He smiled. "I asked Mister Unguda earlier to bring up several folding cots from stores, which have been placed in the meeting room abaft the bridge. I now intend to impose upon you to stay there with Bzup for the time being, so that you can be on the bridge in seconds instead of minutes."

MIkulsa nodded at that. "That's a very good idea."

"I thought so," the master returned, a faint smile appearing on his face now. "That's why I requisitioned three cots, Mister Mikulsa. I thought of you, as well."

The bearded man laughed. "I was just going to say I'd like to be there, too." He nodded. "I appreciate your thoughtfulness, Master Terpin."

Jem and Nico smiled at that. The master didn't miss much!

"I don't mind at all," Jem replied, turning to Nico. "Do you?"

"I think it's a good idea," his friend returned, looking eager. "We'll be right there if there's any action!"

Jem turned to Bzup. "Bzup? Bzup stay with Jem near bridge?"

"Bzup ztay with Jem," the alien agreed, and Jem suspected then that Bzup had been able to follow a lot of their conversation. Their new friend's ability with language was certainly impressive!

"The meeting room has a lavatory, a refrigerator, and a microwave oven," the master reminded. "Mister Unguda has stocked the cooler, and made sure you will not go hungry while you're there. Bzup, either."

"You've thought of everything," Mikulsa said, nodding in appreciation. "This will reduce our response time considerably."

"I really do think having Bzup immediately available might make a difference. So we shall proceed with that plan as our base."

They moved then to the meeting room behind the bridge, where they found the cots set up and dressed with fresh blankets and pillows. The large viewer in the room was activated, and showed their course ahead. Jem paused then, struck by what he was seeing there.

The gray and white skies were aglow with afternoon light from behind them, and the edge of the pack ice stood out clearly against the darker sea. It reminded Jem somehow of the mountains he knew above Nocksic Bay, half a continent behind them now, but seeming not so far away at all. It was a scene that called out to him, and one he found utterly bereft of the starkness and bleakness that someone only in love with the land might find here.

He had come to the sea looking for something. And now, Jem was certain he had found it. The seas of Benteen had become part of he world he knew, and, in doing so, a part of home.

 

* * * * * * *

 

"We've come some distance from the little cove where we were attacked," Nico said, the next morning. "And no sign of anything or anyone. How far do you think they moved Chregar?"

They were sitting at the meeting table, Jem, Nico, and Mikulsa, with Bzup standing between the two boys. Breakfast was as usual, except there was no one else there to share it with them. Jem had already found that he would miss that, if their sojourn behind the bridge ran to an extended period of time.

"I would think it would be some distance," Mikulsa said, over his cup of coffee. "It wouldn't do to have any returning force discover them again right away."

"That makes sense," Jem agreed. "And if they move about by use of that black disc, they'll have a wide area in which to work. If their disc is anything like a Raptor, it could be a thousand kilometers away in well under an hour."

"But Chregar will be more limited in its movement," Mikulsa reminded. He seemed to consider that, and then sighed. "Still, one of these orx hunters in a hurry could probably make a thousand kilometers in a day. Without knowing some other things, all we can do is guess."

"What other things?" Nico asked.

"Well, how far they had already come from their base ship, for one thing. They had to have come to the open water to do their experiments with the orx."

"And you wouldn't think they'd want to go that far to do that," Nico decided.

Jem thought about that, and then turned to Bzup. "Bzup? Bzup-kind come from one-ship to work with orx?"

Zzzz. "Jem. Yez. Bzup-kind need come to water to work with orx."

Mikulsa's eyes narrowed at that. "They must be based on the ice somewhere."

Nico paused in eating to stare at the bearded man. "I think we're forgetting something important. There's no land this far north except a very tiny island up towards the pole. And that's covered by the permanent ice cap."

Jem snapped his fingers, seeing where his friend was going. "If they landed a ship up there, it would either have to have been on the permanent ice, or directly on that island. That island is the only sure footing up here. I know which one I would select."

"Why not closer to the water?" Mikulsa asked. "Is the ice too weak for that?"

"I think so. They couldn't land something as large as an exploration ship down this way on the seasonal ice. It's too thin."

"I think I agree with that," a voice called through the open doorway into the corridor between the meeting room and the bridge. Master Terpin had left the door to the bridge open, too, so that he could call to them if needed.

In a moment the tall man had entered the room with them. "I don't find it unreasonable for us to assume for a moment that they simply came directly south to the open water from the polar region for their experiments with the orx. We didn't detect Chregar at all during that attack, and didn't even know the ship was nearby. That would suggest to me that the vessel is disguised from our sensors somehow. So they really wouldn't have to move it that far at all to keep us from easily finding her."

"How far east from the cove have we come?" Jem asked him.

"Slightly more than 100 kilometers. We're averaging less than 10 knots, because we actually have to examine the ice pack as we move east. And we've stopped several times to check on anomalies." The master nodded. "I actually thought we would have found Chregar by now."

"Nothing shows on our sensors?"

"No. But as I said, I believe that Chregar may have been hidden somehow. And we already know that the black disc is virtually undetectable by our own sensors."

"Maybe they can detect us at a greater distance, and just keep moving east ahead of us," Nico suggested. "Their sensors are probably better than ours, remember."

The master's eyes narrowed slightly, but he showed no other emotion. "Everything must be considered."

"How far north is this island Nico is referring to?" Mikulsa asked. "That would be Hakin Island, right?"

"Yes. About 800 kilometers. For a Raptor - or a black disc - a quick trip, indeed."

Jem frowned. "Bzup's people will have a different view of this than we do. All they'll know is that we encountered hostile orx at that little cove in the ice. They wouldn't know we knew Chregar was nearby, or that their base might be nearby. So they would only have to move their operation a short distance away, in case we came back in force to look at the cove again."

"You're assuming a lot," Mikulsa said, smiling. "They could just as easily have thought we have some way of detecting them they don't know about."

"I'm just letting my brain drain," Jem replied, returning the smile.

"It might get stopped up, if he doesn't," Nico added, his eyes bright with affection.

Master Terpin's face showed the hint of a smile. "All ideas need to be examined. But I do feel that an investigation of that island is in order, at some point. A star-going scout capable of tracing Righoff lines is going to be large, and quite massive in a gravity well. It will need more than this seasonal ice to support it."

"We could be guessing wrong about this island, too," Mikulsa said. "There are no other landmasses close to the pole?"

"There are several in the opposite hemisphere that extend fairly far north, but they are still fifteen-hundred kilometers or more beyond the pole." Master Terpin shook his head. "They might base their ship there and fly all this way to do their experiments, but it doesn't make practical sense to me to do that."

"Maybe their idea of good sense is different than ours?" Mikulsa suggested. He frowned. "But I would think if they had landed on one of those landmasses in the other hemisphere, they would have done their experiments there."

"Maybe not," Jem replied. He turned to the master. "Remember what Nita said? The ocean around New Australia is unlike any other ocean on Benteen. The food fish that Bzup's kind would like are based in our northern sea, not so much in the one in the other hemisphere."

Mikulsa laughed at that. "So, back to not knowing a thing again!"

Jem turned to look at Bzup, who was watching and listening to the humans converse. The alien seemed perfectly willing to do that, without adding to the conversation. Jem was sure that their new friend understood quite a bit of what was being said around him, but had chosen to remain silent unless asked specific questions. Yet Jem sensed no deception in this, just a kind of patience on the alien's part, as if he knew that all would be explained later, and that anything he might say prematurely might only do more harm than good.

Bzup's single eye looked back at Jem with a bright openness and warmth, which Jem interpreted as a fondness by Bzup's for his new and somewhat unusual companions. The alien was clearly at ease, and Jem now felt that Bzup had already decided on his own course of action, and was just waiting for everyone else to catch up. That seeming confidence made Jem sigh, and instilled in him a sense that everything would work out in the end.

Nico leaned up against his shoulder, having sensed something in Jem's mood. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I think we're all okay, actually."

They heard footfalls in the hallway, and Mister Sharples came into the meeting room. "What's going on?" He frowned at the master. "Talk about a brief message!"

The tall man laughed. "You're here, aren't you? When I called you and asked you to hurry up here, I knew you would."

The engineer gave a small sigh of relief. "I thought there was a problem."

"I'm sorry, Frin. I didn't have time to explain. I had overheard an interesting conversation in here, and wanted to jump into the middle of it before it wandered away from the topic."

Mister Sharples looked around at the faces, and smiled. "I can believe that."

The master nodded. "Wouldn't you say that a star ship capable of tracing Righoff lines could land on a planet?"

The engineer shrugged. "Ours can. Hard to properly investigate a planetary find if you can't land and look the place over."

"But such a ship would be quite massive, correct?"

"Certainly."

"So, they wouldn't be landing one on the ice, would they?"

Mister Sharples frowned at that. "Not on this seasonal stuff, anyway. It wouldn't support the load."

"And the permanent ice around the pole?"

The engineer laughed. "Some of that is over a half-kilometer thick. It would certainly support a scout vessel, but I still wouldn't be that comfortable doing it. Even the permanent ice is filled with voids, fractures, and fault lines. I guess if we're talking about Bzup's people, and their scanners are that much better than ours, then they could find a safe place, though."

Master Terpin nodded. "What about Hakin Island?"

Mister Sharples drew back in surprise. "Well...that would be an ideal place to land a scout ship, certainly. The island is the flattened cone of an extinct volcano. When Benteen was first mapped, the island was once considered for an exploration base. The ice covering the collapsed caldera of Hakin Island is less than twenty meters thick, and could have been easily cleared."

"Or even simply ignored," Master Terpin mused. "You could land a scout on ice like that and allow the compression to do the work for you."

"Possibly." Mister Sharples looked from one face to another. "You think Bzup's people landed on Hakin?"

Master Terpin looked questioningly at Jem. "We could always ask Bzup."

Jem turned to the little alien, whose eye was still watching him. "I think he understands a lot more of what we say than we realize." He let his gaze return to the master. "A projection of the pole might help."

The master reached into an inner pocket of his vest and produced a small data pad. He turned to look at the large display on the wall. "Very well."

The view of the sea before Vespris was replaced in the display with a projection of the northern hemisphere of Benteen, which quickly zoomed in to an area where a thin gray line represented the edge of the seasonal ice pack. A blinking red dot was located just south of that line.

"That's us, at the edge of the ice. You can see the faint projections of lines of latitude and longitude, and the circle there that represents the pole. That black dot just at 80-degrees north latitude is Hakin Island."

Jem nodded, and walked over to the display. "Bzup? Vespris here." He pointed to the blinking red dot. He then moved his hand slowly upwards, over the ice pack. "North. That's a direction."

"North," Bzup repeated, intent upon the display.

"Yes." Jem then indicated the circle that was the pole. "All north. After that, south again." He then moved his hand back and pointed at the black dot of the island, and looked back at Master Terpin. "Have you any views of Hakin Island?"

"I'm sure I do."

"Wait, just a second," Jem asked. He patted the black dot with his finger, his eyes going back to the alien. "Bzup. Hakin Island."

"Hakin Eye-land."

"Yes." Jem nodded at the master, and the map was replaced by an image of Hakin Island taken from out on the ice pack, showing what amounted to an immense bulge in the ice, with a fairly even, flat top."Hakin Island." Jem repeated. "Bzup one-ship there?"

The alien's eye widened at the view, and he turned to look at Jem. Was that surprise that Jem saw there?

Zzzzz. The alien paused a moment, looking at the image of the island, and Jem was certain then that Bzup was weighing the pros and cons of answering the question.

Master Terpin frowned. "That might be all the answer we need."

Bzup made another hesitant sound, and then his gaze returned to Jem. "Jem. One zhip there."

"So, now we know," the master said quietly. "And I think our new friend has just invested a new measure of trust in us, too." He frowned. "It's obvious that Vespris cannot make that trip." He turned to Mikulsa. "If we want to investigate Hakin Island, we will need to do so via your Raptor."

Mikulsa was staring at the image of the island, and gave a slow nod to his head. "Not just yet, though. I want to find Chregar first."

Zzzzz. Bzup turned to the bearded man. "Chregar cloze. Feel."

"What does that mean?"

Mister Sharples shook his head slowly. "I have no idea what Bzup can sense, that we can't. Maybe he just knows, somehow, that the ship is near."

"Cloze." Bzup repeated. The alien moved toward Master Terpin and the door to the corridor. "Go zee."

"I think he wants to go to the bridge," Jem suggested.

The master simply turned and headed that way, and Jem and the others followed.

They no sooner stepped onto the bridge when a tone played in the room, and they heard the engines slow. Mister Sharples gave a little growl at that, surprising Jem. "We've found something!"

Vespris had been slowed by the AI, in accordance to whatever instructions the master had given it. Now a series of numbers and graphs flowed by them in midair, part of the projected view ahead. Jem squinted that way, and then turned to Nico. "You see anything?"

The other boy was looking just as confused as Jem felt. "No. Nothing."

"Full stop," The master said, and again the sound of the engines changed as the props slowed to a halt at the rear of the ship and her braking thrusters engaged to help arrest her forward motion.

Ahead and to their port side, the pack ice reared upwards, taller than the masts of the ship. This looked to be a cliff, where some section of the pack had calved off in the recent past, to join the fleet of icebergs sailing southward. The mid-morning sun caused a general glow in the cloud cover above them that tended to soften the edges of everything, making the scenery around them look less jagged, less threatening.

"Attention," the master said quietly, "all hands to stations. Ms. Frees and Ms. Barasesh, please come to the bridge."

Jem knew that the master's voice had been heard throughout the ship.

Another soft tone played on the bridge, and Jem saw motion in the view ahead.

Slowly, a black disc like the one they had seen before rose above the cliff of ice. Jem stared at it silently, frozen in action as were all the others. The black craft made no sound, and just hung there above the ice, as if waiting.

"Out," Bzup said then. "Jem. Out."

Jem wasted a second looking towards the master, who simply nodded his head immediately. "The port wing weather door. That's quickest."

The weather door in question became visible now, cut out of the display of the sea around them as acutely as if done with a pair of fine shears. Jem headed over to the door in the bulkhead, and Bzup followed. There were wings off the bridge to either side, just small ones, connected together by a narrow span that ran across the outside front of the bridge compartment, used for direct-eye observations in harbors, mostly. The bridge itself offered no direct view of the outside world, relying on its holographic presentation of the vessel's surroundings, and the original designers had felt that sometimes a captain just needed to eyeball things for himself. Jem opened that weather door and held it for Bzup as the alien emerged into the daylight. He was followed by the master, and the others were right on the tall man's heels.

Jem turned to look at the cliff of ice, and the black disc in the sky above it. The alien craft was farther away from the edge of the pack ice than he had first figured, and now he could hear just the faintest of sounds. It was like - and unlike - the odd, almost-sound he had heard when the Raptor had arrived, and he looked over at Mister Sharples, to see the man nodding to himself.

Bzup passed Jem then, and proceeded to the forward rail of the wing, facing the black disc. Nico came to Jem's side, and quietly took his hand in his own. The grip was firm, supportive, and caring. Whatever happens next, we're in this together. Jem squeezed back in agreement.

Something went through Jem's head then, causing him to flinch. A sound, or a collection of them, twisted together and amazingly rapid, some of which made his teeth seem to hurt momentarily, and others which made his ears ring. The burst lasted all of ten seconds, and then simply stopped as quickly as it had come.

Jem stared in wonder at Bzup, knowing the incredible mixture of sounds had come from him, and been directed towards the distant disc. Was it even possible they could hear them, so far away?

But as if in answer, the black disc suddenly gave a small grunt and moved closer, slowly - very slowly - until it reached the edge of the pack ice. There it just as slowly descended to the surface of the water, and stopped.

There was another soft tone in the air, and they heard Mister Kim's voice over the com. "Just want to let you know I'm aware of the situation, Master Terpin."

"Thank you. For now, do nothing at all, please."

Bzup turned to look up at Jem. "Down."

Jem frowned. "You mean the disc is down?"

"No. Jem, Bzup down." And then the little alien waved his arm at the railing around the bridge wing.

"He wants to go down on deck, I think," Master Terpin said quietly. "There, Jem. Behind you. The stairway."

Jem turned and saw the stairs. He turned back to Bzup. "Come. Down."

But Bzup waved his three fingers then. "Jem ztay. All ztay. Bzup go down."

"That seems clear enough," Nita said, just arrived with Ana, from the doorway. "He wants to go alone."

Jem took a startled breath, but nodded. "Bzup go. Jem stay. All stay."

"You don't think he's leaving, do you?" Nico asked, pushing his shoulder against Jem's.

Jem felt turmoil inside at the idea. "I hope not. But if he wants to, or needs to...we have to let him go."

The realization that he might be only moments away from losing his friend made Jem feel sick inside. But there was nothing he could do or say, he was certain, that might alter events to come. Bzup seemed to know what he was doing, and all Jem could do was trust the little alien.

They watched as Bzup descended the stairs and turned towards the front of the ship. He made his way forward, and stopped near the large doors in the deck that led to the catch room below.

Again, something went right through Jem's head, another ten seconds of amazing convolutions in sound. He shuddered a moment at the utter strangeness of it, even though he knew exactly from where it had come. Bzup, once again calling out.

And then...nothing.

Bzup simply stood there, as if waiting.

Jem and the others waited, too, no one daring to say anything, as if some strange bit of magic had descended upon the ship, stilling everyone's thoughts. The scene before them was eerie in its strangeness, with the tall cliffs of bluish ice before them, the black disc of the alien transport seemingly floating on the waters before them, and Bzup standing alone on the foredeck, as if waiting for something to happen.

Inside the bridge, something emitted a pinging sound. Master Terpin looked down at his pad, and nodded. "Everyone just be patient."

The comment was cryptic, at best. But if the master was not alarmed, Jem saw no reason that he should be.

Another minute of silence went by. "What's happening?" Nico whispered, squeezing Jem's hand.

"Wait--!" Mister Sharples suddenly said, leaning forward.

All eyes turned back to Bzup. The alien had turned now to face the starboard railing. Even as they watched, the form of another of the aliens rose into view and reached the deck, having simply walked up the side of Vespris from the water. The newcomer ducked beneath the railing, stepped on deck, and moved closer to Bzup before stopping. The two stood facing each other in complete silence.

Jem focused on the newcomer, his eyes automatically comparing this new alien to Bzup. The first thing he noted was that, despite Bzup having longer pseudopods suited to moving about on dry land, the newcomer was taller yet, even while moving on shorter 'legs'. And Buzp's arms, skinny but tough, and ending in the three very dexterous fingers, were not copied by this other alien. The newcomer had thick, ropy tentacles in place of the arms, tentacles equipped with very visible suckers along the inside. The new arrival also had no eye, and no transducer at the spot where Bzup wore his. Instead, this alien seemed to have smaller circles all over its body, which, incredibly, seemed to be tinier versions of the large transducer disk that served as Bzup's ears and voice.

A new burst of incredible sound came forth, and though he had no real way of knowing, Jem was certain that it was the newcomer who had spoken. The small spots dotting its body blurred with motion, giving the entire alien a strange, ghostly appearance.The burst lasted a good fifteen seconds, and stopped, and was immediately followed by another burst of amazing sound, surely a response by Bzup.

The conversation then began in earnest, moving back and forth between the two, surely some of it, if not most of it, taking place at frequencies that human ears could not master. Jem found himself grinning in wonder at the sheer complexity of the sounds he could hear, the conversation containing many brief passages that almost reminded him of sounds he knew. What was clear was that it was communication that was happening here, and volumes of it that a roomful of humans would be hard pressed to compete with.

Twice, Bzup waved his arms, and waggled his fingers. Three times, the newcomer responded with fluid motions of its tentacles. The sounds increased in speed and volume, until Jem found he had his head pulled down slightly at the sheer power of the exchange. Nico squeezed his hand convulsively in tune with the more lively of the exchanges, and both boys soon found themselves laughing quietly at the wonder of it all.

And then, just as suddenly as it has begun, it stopped. Bzup gave the newcomer a last wave of an arm, and took a step backwards. The newcomer seemed to compress a moment, shrinking in height while expanding in girth, and then turned to face the humans on the bridge wing. For a long moment Jem was certain they were being observed, painted with sound; and then the alien turned back to the railing, marched over the side of Vespris, and was gone.

No one seemed able to break the mystic moment with speech. They were still standing there in silence, a minute later, watching Bzup, when the black disc rose silently from the water, cleared the cliffs, then gave a small grunt and took off northward, putting on speed rapidly and quickly dwindling, but this time displaying none of the frenetic sense of panic they had seen in its motions the previous time. In moments it was a dot among the clouds, and then simply gone. Everyone stared after it a moment, only the gentler voice of the sea speaking into the silence around them.

"I hope that's a good sign," Mister Sharples finally said quietly.

"I have to think it is," Master Terpin responded. He turned to gaze at Bzup a moment, and then looked down at his pad. "No orx in the water. Nothing else I can see that looks dangerous."

Bzup turned to them then, and waggled his three fingers at the cliff of ice. "Chregar there." His voice sounded louder than usual, and carried plainly across the deck to them.

"Where?" Jem asked, feeling a surge of excitement inside.

Bzup waggled his fingers at the cliff again. "There."

All eyes turned to where the alien had indicated. Jem searched the lines of the cliff where it met the water, but could see nothing that looked like an orxhunter. The sea there looked empty in both directions.

Jem turned back to Bzup for clarification, but had just opened his mouth to speak when Master Terpin suddenly said, "Wait -- there!"

The tall man pointed, and all eyes turned again to the cliffs. Once more Jem's eyes searched, seeing nothing but ice and sea. The lines of the cliff clearly showed where vast chunks of ice had broken off to become travelers of the sea on their own, pushed southward by the seasonal winds. The sea was mildly choppy where it contested space with the cliffs, but Jem could see nothing that looked like a --

And then his eyes picked out something that didn't look right. He leaned forward then, aware that Nico was doing the same thing beside him. Jem's eyes moved slowly over this new oddity, trying to make sense of what was there.

Everywhere, the ragged edge of the ice showed lines that traveled downward from the crest to the sea. Everywhere, save for one spot. He squinted at the place, looking closer now that he was aware of it, his eyes trying to pick out just what it was that he was seeing.

The lines there looked odd somehow, coming down from above just as they did everywhere else along the cliff; but then suddenly diverging and spreading out from a point to a wider base, almost like the lines of a pyramid. Other than that, it just looked like more ice, and no different than the uncountable tonnage of frozen stuff around it.

"Something there, definitely," the master said then.

Bzup turned at that moment and headed back to them. He climbed the stairs with all the fluidity with which he seemed to have mastered human walkways by now, and was soon standing beside them again. Jem couldn't resist bending down slightly, and giving the alien a brief but very heartfelt hug. "I'm glad you're back," he said softly.

Bzup's gaze held a definite fondness now, Jem was certain, and the alien's small hands raised to briefly grasp Jem's arms.

"That was a hell of a conversation," Nico said, still amazed at what they had witnessed. "I had the distinct impression there were more than the two of them standing there."

"What was it all about, I wonder?" Nita mused aloud. She smiled. "It sounded like a cross between a baseball game and an adventure vid bar fight."

Ana simply shrugged, her own wonder clear, but smiled then. "With an orchestra tuning up in a concert hall, thrown in for good measure." She gazed at Bzup in wonder. "Am I the only one that had the impression they were talking about us?"

"And not all that kindly!" Mister Sharples answered, though with a grin. That produced some smiles among the others.

"It did seem almost an argument to me," Mikulsa said then. "But it also seemed like Bzup had the upper hand." He frowned. "I was noticing the body language of our alien friends, or what I could surmise of it, and I was struck that the new fellow seemed a bit more belligerent than Bzup."

Zzzzz. Bzup turned to the bearded man. "Azim like you. Protector."

Mikulsa squinted at that. "Like me?"

"Security, perhaps?" Master Terpin offered. "Maybe he was the fellow in charge of guarding Chregar."

Bzup released Jem's arms and turned back to the railing, pointing towards the ice. "Chregar there."

"Back onto the bridge, I think," Master Terpin said, turning to lead the way.

The all went inside and the weather door closed behind them, and then vanished, restoring the umblemished view of the sea around them. Master Terpin sat in his seat, and the view within the bridge rotated to port slightly, and then began to zoom in on the odd lines of the section of cliff in question. The were suddenly much closer to the cliff, and Jem strained to make sense of what he saw.

"It looks like some kind of a mesh," Mister Sharples said then.

"It does," Master Terpin agreed. "We need to get closer."

The engines spun up below them, and Vespris turned and moved slowly towards the anomaly at the base of the cliff of ice. As they closed the distance, Master Terpin's gaze constantly moved among the sensor outputs displayed in the air to one side of the room, an ongoing analysis of the sea, ice, and sky around them. Jem could follow the data, and so could see that there seemed to be nothing threatening to be found.

"Looks good," Mister Sharples said, echoing Jem's thoughts. He frowned at the anomaly again. "I think it is a mesh."

They were nearer now, close enough to have a better view of the odd section of ice. It looked for all the world as if someone had taken a giant, fine mesh net and draped it over something long and tall. Something as long and as tall as an orxhunter beneath her masts. Vespris slowed as she drew alongside the anomaly, perhaps a hundred meters away, and Master Terpin used the counterthrusters to bring the ship to a halt relative to the ice.

"Is that a ship under that netting?" Mikulsa asked, in a somewhat hushed voice that seemed out of character for the man. But Jem could fully understand the man's sense of wonder at the idea of something so large as an orxhunter hidden in plain sight. The mesh appeared to be mostly white, but streaked with blue in a manner that made it a perfect camouflage among the towering walls of ice. They could almost see through the mesh, but not quite, there being just a suggestion of what was hidden beneath.

"Jem," Bzup said then. "Out."

"Here we go again!" Nico said, laughing.

"Same door, if you please," the master added, causing the weather door to become visible.

Jem moved to the door, and let Bzup outside. Everyone followed, no one saying a word, everyone wondering what would happen next.

Bzup moved to the rail of the bridge wing and placed his hands on the railing. Again, an intricate sound played forth from the alien's transducer, rising briefly in frequency and almost vanishing, before dropping back down the scale and sighing away almost wistfully.

Across from them, a sort of spasm moved suddenly across the surface of the mesh. It repeated itself; and then the mesh suddenly began to draw upwards from the water, seeming to shrink rather than fold up, and quickly revealed the ironwood hull of an orxhunter beneath. The deck of the vessel became visible, and the mesh continued to shrink upwards, climbing the masts now, then making the leap from each of the outside masts to the center one, and there forming a distinct ball. The mass continued to compact further...and then started oozing its way down the mast to the deck!

Jem watched in the same stunned silence as the others as the now obviously living thing reached the deck, flowed across it to the railing, easily compressed itself enough to move beneath, and then flowed down the side of the vessel into the sea and disappeared.

"It was alive," Nico said softly, his amazement clear.

"Some form of bioengineered structure, I would guess," Nita answered, almost as quietly.

A tone played in the air of the bridge then, followed by a quiet chirping sound, and a new line of numbers rolled through the air of the display.

"Locator beacon," Mister Sharples said, giving a small, amazed laugh. "It was there all along, just masked."

Nita turned to face the man, and pointed at the now fully exposed vessel. "So that's--?"

The man laughed again, the relief in his voice clear. "Yes, it is."

Jem and Nico exchanged glances, and then turned back to gaze at the vessel beside them in wonder.

Chregar had been found.