Jack McDevitt - Octavia Gone

Publisher's Notice

The publisher has provided this ebook to you without Digital Rights Management (DRM) software applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices. This ebook is for your personal use only. You may not print or post this ebook, or make this ebook publicly available in any way. You may not copy, reproduce, or upload this ebook except to read it on your personal devices.

Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this ebook you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: simonandschuster.biz/online_piracy_report.

For Robbi Jo McDevitt

The Larry Corbin was barely fifteen minutes out of Ventnor Station, still charging its hyperdrive unit. Both moons were visible, one in the rear, the other off to port. Adarryl Perry had just gotten out of his seat, intending to go back to the cabin to talk with his passengers, when Thwanna, the AI, lit up. Captain, she said, message from the station. She put it on display:

Adarryl, we just got word that Rimway has lost contact with Octavia station. Its the research unit orbiting the black hole KBX44. Theyd been receiving daily transmissions, but the transmissions have stopped. Their orbit takes them behind the black hole periodically, which cuts everything off for thirty-one hours. That just happened two days ago. But theyve been clear for almost twenty hours, and theres nothing from them. Youre closest. Please divert. Be informed they also have a shuttle. Report back as soon as you see whats happening. Ill let you know if we hear anything more. Brentway.

Thwanna, he said, how long will we need to get there?

Just a couple of hours. Riding around in the system trying to find the station, though, will probably take some serious time.

Give me a minute. He switched back to cruise, got up, and went into the passenger cabin. All four of his passengers were there. A romantic comedy, Love on a Wing , had just started. Its a clever show in which the goddess Athena shows up in a Greek theater to enjoy a play that features her as a principal character. Perry had seen and enjoyed the film several times. The lead actor, of course, falls in love with the goddess. He watched for a few moments and then stopped it. Betsy, he said, gentlemen, weve run into a problem. Theres a possible emergency. Communications from a research station orbiting a black hole have broken off and they want us to go take a look. Sorry, but we dont have any options. I can take you back to Ventnor Station if you want, and theyll set up another ship for you. But it could take a while. Or if you prefer, stay here and go with me. Your call. Better if you stay on board, just in case theres a problem out there and they need help. Either way, youll be compensated.

Mark Friedman was Betsys husband. Sounds good, he said. Did you say they were orbiting a black hole? That doesnt sound very smart.

Theyre doing research. Been there more than a year.

Interesting, said Mark. He was not the sort of person Perry would have taken for a retired hangball coach, except that he was extremely tall. He didnt have the polished moves of a onetime athlete. But he looked like a leader. Perry had needed only a quick glance to realize he was a guy to whom people would pay serious attention. He had black hair and a face that might have belonged to the leading man in Love on a Wing . Those are kind of dangerous, arent they? Black holes?

Of course they are, love, said his wife. Betsy was slender and attractive, also with black hair and a mischievous gleam that never left her eyes.

They were headed for a new home on the recently established Kolmar colony. Perry couldnt imagine why anybody would want to move out to a place so removed from the rest of the Confederacy. They just want us to take a look and make sure everythings okay, he said.

The other two passengers, Aaron Prentiss and Virgil Henderson, exchanged glances. They both shrugged. Lets do it, said Aaron. We have plenty of time before were due at the Omicron. And well get a chance to add a black hole to the act. That sounds golden. They were a comedy team whod been making appearances for the opening of their new movie. Perry didnt recall the title. Aaron was a small, thin guy who played the dunce.

Virgil was probably twice his size, the excitable part of the team who usually wound up paying the price for Aarons stupidity. A growing look of concern was shadowing his features, much as it often did during a movie. Captain, the black hole isnt anywhere near Kolmar, is it? That was where they were headed.

No. No need to worry. But you guys should stay belted down. Well be making our jump in a few minutes.

Aaron wasted no time checking his seat belt.

You say theyve been out here a year? asked Betsy.

Perry nodded and started toward the bridge. Ill be back. We have to get moving.

As he left the passenger cabin, Virgil was saying that, whatever kind of research it was, he couldnt imagine how it could be any use to anyone. Its just asking for trouble. He was managing to sound scared.

Perry took his seat on the bridge. Thwanna, he said, inform Ventnor were on our way. He locked in his own seat belt and glanced at the green lights that told him his passengers were secure. Then he warned them they would begin to accelerate in a moment. He heard the movie come back on. Okay, Thwanna, lets get moving again.

They adjusted course, turning in the direction of the black hole, and began to accelerate. Thwanna, Adam said they were blocked off from communicating for thirty-one hours. Is that really because of the black hole?

Yes, Captain. It disrupts any transmissions, radio or hypercomm, that pass close to it. There is one period of approximately thirty hours during each orbit in which the station is cut off from all contacts.

Thats when they lost touch with it.

That seems like an odd coincidence. Ten minutes later she told him they were ready to go under.

Do it, he said.

The smaller moon, Dura, was visible outside his starboard window. He watched it disappear as they slipped into hyperspace.

Life was routine over the next two hours. They watched the rest of the Athena movie, and then Perry made a light lunch available. Mark and Betsy showed signs of being disappointed that Aaron and Virgil were different from the characters they played in the comedies. Perry had met them on an earlier flight. Away from a performance, they were ordinary people. Theyd all been interested in visiting the bridge during the early minutes after the launch. Now of course if they looked out the windows there was nothing to be seen except occasional mist and unbroken darkness.

Mark fell asleep in his seat. The others simply sat and talked until Thwanna informed them they should secure their harnesses while the Corbin prepared to return to normal space. It did, and as far as Perry could tell, they were all disappointed when they looked out the windows and were still greeted by little other than black space and a sprinkling of stars.

He gave Thwanna a few minutes to check their position. Then: Howd we do?

Still working on it, Captain. Itll be another minute.

Take your time. He sat back and closed his eyes.

Thwanna came back: Were close. Maybe twenty billion kilometers. Ready to accelerate and recharge the Korba. The Korba was, of course, the star drive. Well need to go down one more time to get within range.

He directed his passengers to belt down again. Then Thwanna made a moderate course change, after which they started to add velocity. And the Korba began recharging.