SHIP'S LOG: USCS DAWN TREADER TSV-150086
ENTRY THREE: EARTH DATE 13 FEB 2225
REPORTING: RORY BUCHANAN, CAPTAIN
AFTER-ACTION REPORT
SUBMITTED: 20 APR 2225
Well, there's 9 weeks of my life I'll never get back...
Sure, that was a milk run. What they didn't tell us is that the "milk" was five parsecs away from here, and 8 parsecs from Earth. We were given a deadline of seven and a half weeks to complete the run. That's supposed to include the flight out of Hamilton, transit at Fomalhaut and back, and then inbound to Earth. Navigator Chun would have to get really lucky to plot a course like that.
Our destination was Fomalhaut, a trinary system composed mostly of a large asteroid belt. The ICO has little to no influence there, and corporations deal with the independent prospectors there. Our contact was a representative of Core-Tek, a company that sounds more upscale than it actually is.
Engineer Knight told me she has a friend from her University days that may be looking to sign on with a crew. Apparently, he has a doctorate in mechanical engineering. I can meet with him when we arrive at Earth, and see if he would be a good fit here.
Chun and Lewis seemed to be getting along at the briefing. I was expecting a lot of tension between them, given what transpired on our last voyage. They tried to come across as cheerful, but their banter seemed kind of forced and stilted. I don't know who they're hoping to fool, but as long as it doesn't get in the way of doing their jobs, they're free to hate one another on their off-duty time.
The only non-regulation adornment on my uniform is a patch that says "What's My Bonus Situation?" It was a gag gift from the crew, but I take the matter seriously. We're already terribly underpaid, so I'll go to bat and fight for every dollar we can get, every time. I was able to wheedle an extra 20 percent above the initial bonus offer, which is good, because I don't foresee us making a deadline that's even less realistic than the previous ones.
Navigator Chun planned a course for the hyperspace point. She was able to find a close one, 30 million kilometers away. Only a day and a half. We needed all the good fortune we could get.
While the Dawn Treader was being fueled up, we received an emergency request from Port Authority. A pair of maintenance workers were trapped by a gas leak in a service passageway. They had been overcome by the fumes and the concern was that they might not be rescued in time. Desh, being an android, could enter the area without risk. Not needing to breathe was a benefit, most of the time.
Desh hurried down to the scene and made his way into the passageway. A few tense minutes later, he emerged, one unconscious worker over his shoulder, and dragging another behind him. When they were clear of the fumes, he was able to resuscitate them both. They would probably spend a few days in the infirmary, but they'd be back to work long before we returned.
It was past noon when we finally lifted off, and Chun needed to revise the course. Sadly, the jump point had drifted by 10 Mkm, adding a half-day to our trip out. Lewis followed the course without any issues.
Engineer Knight was very diligent about preventive maintenance, but we suffered a malfunction along the way, nonetheless. A glitch in the guidance software would seriously affect our ability to navigate - and while Leah was a skilled technician, she was in no way a computer expert. Since we wouldn't be doing any navigating in the meantime, Aldel set to work on the problem, with the aid of Loadmaster Evans. After seven hours, they had repaired the issue and rebooted the affected systems.
We finally arrived at the hyperspace point on the evening of the 15th, two and a half days after our departure. We had lost an entire day so far, due to all the issues. Desh prepared us for hypersleep, and the ship did not drop out of hyperspace unexpectedly. Thank the Maker for small favors.
We arrived at Fomalhaut the morning of March 5th. Waking felt like the morning after a drinking binge. I thought I was going to vomit. Lewis and Evans didn't look much better. Desh took good care of us, and we were ready to return to duty without much delay. Aldel, our sensor operator, quickly obtained a fix on our position. Navigator Chun announced that we were 90 Mkm from the port, a trip that would take four and a half days.
Two days later, the ship began to stutter. Knight announced that we had suffered a fuel pump failure. She hurried down to the drive section to make the necessary repairs. A few hours later, Desh was called down to the Engineering section. Leah had suffered a nasty electrical burn when one of the motors she was working on shorted out. Desh was able to treat it and announced that the injury would be healed within a few days. Knight returned to work on the fuel pump.
Twelve hours later, we were once more underway, and on the morning of March 10th, we arrived at Fomalhaut Mainport. In an asteroid belt, there's really no such thing as a "highport" or a "downport". I presented our documents to the starport authority, who promptly announced that there were certain "irregularities" in the paperwork. I was sure it was a veiled attempt at graft, but my legal knowledge was sufficient to smooth things over.
We met with the Core-Tek representative, signed the necessary paperwork, and the loading began. Six hours later, we were refueled and 1700 tons heavier. This was about the only problem-free part of the entire mission.
We lifted off very early on the morning of the 11th. Chun plotted a course to the nearest hyperspace point to Earth, and regretfully informed me it was 110 Mkm away. Lewis required an extra burn to correct the original flight plan.
Two days into the voyage, we were into a planned burn when the ship lurched and the maneuver drive went silent. Knight was able to make the repair within a couple of hours, but then began to suffer a nervous breakdown. She was overwhelmed by the constant malfunctions and the burden of being the only crew member qualified to repair them. She was still traumatized by Nelson's grisly death. He had been her mentor, and she greatly admired him.
Desh attempted to provide counseling to her (Natural 2), but if he has a flaw, it's that he is programmed to "fix" unhealthy minds and bodies. Leah said she didn't need "fixing", she just wanted someone to listen for a change. She stormed out of the medbay, sobbing, and locked herself in her cabin. We did not see her for three days. According to Desh, she was semi-catatonic, refusing to eat and hardly sleeping.
We arrived at the hyperspace point five days later. Desh had to sedate Knight to get her into her tube. We began to sleep for the four week journey to Earth. We arrived at Sol early on April 13th. Aldel quickly obtained a fix on our position - Sol being the most thoroughly-mapped system, after all. Chun announced that we were 80 Mkm from Earth, four days out.
Desh met with Leah again and they were able to make some progress. She assured us that she was fit to return to duty. Surely the prospect of picking up another engineer while we were here must have been a factor.
Lewis said the course to Earth was the easiest he'd ever flown. Along the way, Aldel picked up an approaching vessel on sensors. As it got closer, she announced that it was a cargo carrier. We attempted to hail the ship, but received no reply.
Finally, on the morning of April 17th, we docked at Liberty Station. Nine weeks had elapsed since we left Hamilton. I was able to fast-track our way through Customs, and the unloading began. Finance transmitted our pay, minus a 10% penalty for missing the outrageous deadline. Each of us received a payout of $4,680 in addition to our normal pay. That might sound pretty nice, but it worked out to less than $100 a day.
But if there's one wonderful perk of a run like this, it's shore leave on Earth. There's no place like home. Leah headed to the Caribbean, not only to soak up the sun, but also to track down her old friend. Chun found a wonderful, little-known retreat. It was a place where she could safely unwind and hide. I made my way back to Dublin, to visit the old homestead. Evans joined me and we enjoyed a few pints at the pub where I'd spent many an evening in my younger days.
Aman was unhappy that she could not return to Tripoli. She said there was no longer a place there for a person like her. Lewis, being a Belter from the Solomons and not native to Earth, had no idea where to go either. So he invited her to join him on the quest to find a good time. She warned him that she does not drink, and that he's definitely not her type anyway, but agreed to accompany him. She told him that she feels lonely on board the Dawn, often ignored and taken for granted.
True to his word, Lewis showed her the best time she'd had in years. He fast-talked their way into some fairly exclusive clubs and restaurants. They exchanged sarcastic comments about some of the more ridiculous patrons, and played a game he called "What's Their Story", where they would try to imagine what any given couple might be saying, what they were secretly thinking, and why they were together. When they returned to the ship, Lewis confided that he had seen a certain Company executive in a compromising situation at the sort of place a person of his station should not have been, with the sort of people one of his station should not associate. I made a mental note of the information, in case we ever needed a little leverage.
I'm off to Boston tomorrow morning, to meet with Knight and her friend. I'm hoping the interview goes well, and that Personnel will allow me to sign on a replacement of my choice, rather than one they recommend.
Buchanan, signing off.