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“Captain, it’s confirmed. They’re veering away from 40 Eridani.”
“At least they’re not planning on ambushing Enterprise,” Resler said to nobody in particular. “But where are they going?”
“Their course suggests Alpha Phoenicis,” Rio said before Ensign Skaggs could answer.
“What? Why?”
“Unknown, Captain,” said the unflappable AI.
“They’ve also increased speed to warp 4.2, Captain,” added Skaggs. “Matched.”
“Assume Alpha’s the destination; what’s our time en route?”
“If they keep a constant speed, twenty-two days, four hours, eighteen minutes.”
She looked around the bridge at the faces of her crew. They were experienced enough to mute their reactions, but the dismay and concern was visible, if hidden.
“Commander Huff,” she said, and her XO’s voice responded instantly.
“Captain?”
“Meet me in my ready room, please.”
“On my way.”
Three minutes later her door chimed.
“Enter.”
Huff came in, still sipping a coffee. Unlike her larger sisters, Defiant wasn’t intended for long deployments out-system. This was reflected in many aspects of shipboard life, but one which had bitten them hard was the necessity to create a round-the-clock watch system.
Essentially, Defiant and Defender had been built to be the teeth for the CAP, giving a heavy punch to the Direwolves. Their patrols were half-days. On the one hand it permitted them to get by with the smallest crew of any starship, only 112 and a minimum of 40. On the other hand, with same-day deployments, the rotating watch schedule common on the other starships was absent. All crew were on duty at launch, with half going off-duty after reaching their assigned patrol area, usually in a very few minutes. The XO returned to duty four hours in, relieving the Captain for a few hours, while the balance of the crew rotated at the mid-point of the patrol.
The practical upshot was they had to learn now to run an exploration-style watch pattern, and Huff was gradually adjusting to commanding the Mid watch. Fourteen was just about when he’d be preparing for his shift, which started at fifteen.
“What’s up, Chloe?” he said as he sat.
“How are we for supplies?”
“We’re good. Plenty of fuel, and the replicators and recyclers are doing their usual efficient job.”
“Good to hear. Hope you don’t have any plans on Njord any time soon; seems the al-Battani isn’t going to 40 Eridani.”
“No? And what does that have to do with Njord?”
“No. Ever hear of Alpha Phoenicis?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, and started to get the look of a person tapping their ‘plant.
“Don’t bother. It’s a binary system, 85 light years from home, and apparently the al-Battani is going to be the first starship to visit.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Sightseeing?”
“Seriously, Chloe, what are they doing?”
“Don’t know. Michele has been tracking a deviation from the direct route to Eridani since shift start this morning, and she and Rio just confirmed Phoenicis as the most likely destination.”
“Wonderful. And we won’t even get credit for exploring it.”
“It gets better.”
“Wait.” He took a heavy pull from his mug. “Okay, ready.”
“Twenty-two days to arrival, and then twenty-four from there home. Assuming they head home from there.”
“Damn.”
“Exactly. So, I’ll ask again. How are we for supplies?”
Huff stood, coffee forgotten.
“I’ll start checking with department heads. I’m sure we can tighten up a bit, but I don’t think we’ll have any issues.”
Resler nodded. “And think about this, too: how do we tell Whitmore about the diversion?”
“Oh, crap.”
She nodded again.
“By the time we return, they’re probably going to think we’re lost; it will be the best part of seven weeks. Unless you can figure out how to send a Q-Net signal from the middle of nowhere?”
“No, but if anyone can it will be KC. I’ll throw it to her and see what she comes up with. Anything else?”
“No, I think I’ve ruined your day enough. See you in a bit.”