A triumphant smile slowly began to spread across Nijils vulpine features.

“There has, however,the voice continued guardedly, “been a slight complication.

EIGHT

Tuesday, July 15, 2155 E.C.S. Horizon, Gamma Hydra Sector

P AUL M AYWEATHER HEARDthe noise of the creaking deck plates behind him as it rose slightly above the background buzz of the ancient freighters computers and air‑circulation fans. Turning toward the familiar sound, he watched as his mother and chief engineer, Rianna Mayweather, approached the middle of the aft section of the small hexagonal bridge that she had always insisted on describing as “cozy rather than “cramped.

Gesturing toward the image of the uncannily Earth‑like globe that turned slowly on the bridges large forward viewer, she said, “The people down there really surprised me.

“Im just happy they turned out to be friendly and willing to deal with us, Paul said.

Rianna nodded. “Of course. But isnt it amazing how quickly they picked up English?

“I thought that was pretty remarkable, too, said Charlie Nichols, who seemed delighted to be back behind his helm console after his brief sojourn dirtside. He looked happy to hear that the last few repairs had finally been completed, no doubt because he was raring to perpetrate yet another one of the sudden, kidney‑damaging lurches directly from space‑normal speed to warp two for which he was so renowned.

Paul nodded silently in response to the observations of his mother and the helmsman before facing forward again to study the stately turning of the blue‑and‑white‑streaked world on which he and the Horizons crew had just completed the bulk of their emergency repairs. He had to admit that the natives facility for languages was remarkable, if indeed they had been telling the truth about never before having played host to a visiting Earth vessel.

But even more remarkable was the lucky happenstance that this worlds barely industrial‑age inhabitants had been able to furnish sufficient supplies of the metals and organic polymer precursors necessary to allow Mom, Nora, and Juan to get the Horizons propulsion system up and running again after that damned micrometeoroid swarm had crippled the Horizons aging Bussard collectors and navigational deflectors.

Juan Marquez and Nora Melchior, who served in the freighters small merchant crew as junior engineer and Jill‑of‑all‑trades respectively, were in the process of replacing a burned‑out navigation sensor module in one of the starboard consoles. Although theyd seemed utterly absorbed in their work, they both evidently had been following the desultory conversation every bit as closely as Paul had done.

“Ill grant you that theyre quick learners, Nora said, grunting as she strained to free a slightly balky hydrospanner from the awkward tight space between consoles into which shed gotten it stuck. “But none of the natives I dealt with seemed all that big on original thinking.

“I dont know about that, Juan said. Paul quietly watched as the junior engineer looked askance at Noras handling of the spanner, as though expecting it to come flying out at any moment, like Excalibur suddenly freed from the stone. “Sure, they seemed a bit imitative, but that probably just reflects their method of absorbing new languages.

Nora grimaced as she put more of her weight into the task of trying to extract the spanner from where it had become lodged. “Maybe, she said. “Maybe not. It might be fun to come back here in twenty years, she said, pausing momentarily to grunt with another burst of futile effort to extract the spanner, “to see if theyve started trying to build their own J‑type interstellar freighters.

Rianna folded her arms and shook her head skeptically. “Theyre still trying to get a handle on steam technology, Nora. I wouldnt expect them to get anything off the ground for at least another hundred years or so.

“Probably true, Juan said, his dark eyes still riveted to Noras trapped spanner. “Careful with that thing, Nora, he said, his expression showing vicarious pain for the abused tool. “Youre gonna break it if youre not careful.

“Helping is good, Juan, Nora said, scowling slightly as she continued fruitlessly coaxing the stubborn instrument. Her tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she worked. “Kibitzing, not so much.

Juan shrugged and looked toward Paul and Rianna, perhaps to avert his eyes from Noras flagrant abuse of the innocent spanner. “Anyhow, the natives really didnt seem nearly as interested in that sort of thing as they were in the cultural stuff, anyway.

Paul couldnt help but agree with Juan, though he thought that Nora definitely had a point as well. In fact, he had already characterized the natives as very bright and imitative people in the log he had recorded for later transmission to Earth Cargo Service Central. Even in the merchant service, which arguably made more of an imprint on the galactic neighborhood than did Starfleet, detailed reports about all first contact situations were a regulation‑required necessity. It made no sense to allow the next Earth ship that happened by this world to rediscover these people purely by accident.

“Im still just happy that they seemed so eager to help out a bunch of stranded strangers, Paul said. Had the Horizonbeen forced down in more hostile surroundings, the outcome of their just‑concluded adventure might have turned out far less happily.

“Dont forget that they expected to be paid for the stuff we needed, said Rianna, her gaze locked on her younger sons. “I think their cultural leanings saved our asses at least as much as their sense of altruism. Were just damned lucky they were willing to accept some of the stuff we were carrying in the hold. What exactly did you give them, anyway?

Paul chuckled quietly. “A few of the vintage amusement items from Earth that I was hoping would pay most of the bills during that stopover we have coming up at Denobula Triaxa.

Riannas eyes narrowed. “Which vintage amusement items are you talking about? she asked in a voice that seemed to lower the ambient temperature by at least a good two degrees Celsius. Paul could only hope that he hadnt accidentally traded away any of Moms favorite nifties in his haste to acquire the materials the crew needed to get the Horizonback under way.

He concentrated for a moment, staring off at a bulkhead as he assembled a brief mental inventory. “Analog music recordings pressed on vinyl disks, he said sheepishly. “Along with a couple of old hand‑cranked players. Some flatvid movies recorded on celluloid, and a projector. A mechanical arcade game I think they used to call a pinball machine. Oh, and a couple of boxes of books.

Her eyes narrowed further still. “ Whichbooks? she said, her tone evoking childhood memories of the moments immediately preceding the occasional “time outs hed had to spend alone in one of the empty cargo holds.

Wait a minute now,he told himself. Since Dad died, shesmy chief engineer. Which makes meher captain.It was damned difficult to remember that at times like this.

Paul felt nothing but gratitude for Noras spanner when it chose that moment to come free, its gripping surfaces apparently shattering in the process.

“Told you, Juan said, shaking his head.

“Oh, be quiet, Nora muttered as she knelt to pick up the little bits of hydrospanner that now lay scattered about the deck.

“Never mind us, Juan said, addressing Paul. “In spite of appearances, I think were actually ready to shove off whenever you give the word.

Couldnt have timed it better myself,Paul thought as he turned toward the man who sat fidgeting impatiently behind the helm, awaiting the order to break orbit.

“Set us on a course for Gamma Hydra, Charlie. Warp two. Take us out when youre ready. And try not to shake our fillings loose this time.