“I’m sure they will be,” Ky said, “assuming we can survive to complain, and the guilty party can be found. In the meantime, we’re alive, the rafts are floating, and we have air, water, and food.”
“It’s not enough!” Corporal Lakhani said. “What if they never find us? Or not before the food runs out? We could starve—or freeze—”
“That’s enough, Corporal,” Kurin said. “The admiral’s right: for now, we’re in good shape, considering what happened. Keep pumping until the water’s gone.”
“Do all of you know one another already?” Ky asked.
“No, sir,” Kurin said. “Corporal Inyatta and I served together on Myseni Reef, so I know her by sight, but we weren’t in the same assignments.” Others were shaking their heads as well.
“Time for more than handshakes and names, then,” Ky said. “You know my name; I spent most of my childhood on Corleigh. Did some sailing with my father and brothers, including a few overnights, and practiced in a life raft a lot smaller than this one.” She glanced at Marek, who seemed to be dozing; his color was better, but she didn’t disturb him. “What about you, Staff Sergeant?”
“Jana Kurin, from Seelindi, the second largest island in the Mandan Reef chain. My family has a big farm; we grow rice and vegetables, about fifty hectares in fruit trees. We export produce out of Mandan Home over to the mainland. But like all the island kids, I learned to sail, paddle a cane raft, fish. My other uncle is a fisher, and so are my cousins.” Kurin sounded calm and confident now, and Ky was sure she’d be an asset.
“I’m from Arland,” Sergeant Cosper said. “Hautvidor, very modern city, where everyone has a good work ethic. The mountains make us healthy, that and a healthy lifestyle. Everyone spends time outdoors, year-round. If we want to survive, we must all commit to a rigorous exercise program, starting today. I have training as a physical fitness instructor, as well as a secondary tag as first responder.”
Arland, Ky knew, had been one of the original nation-states, and a major factor in the war Grace Vatta fought. Cosper was tall, clearly very fit, and as clearly proud of it. Though he had been polite so far, his glances at her made it clear he thought of her as a small woman in need of toughening up.
One by one, the others offered bits of personal history—background that might be useful in this situation, or lack of it; what their military specialties had been. Sergeant McLenard, one of the stewards in the aft cabin, had spent the past seven years assigned to shuttle duty. Married, with three children, he had no deep-space or combat experience. Corporal Lakhani quit pumping long enough to say his father ran a hardware store in a small town three hundred kilometers from Port Major. Corporal Yamini confirmed Ky’s guess that he was related somehow to Commander Yamini (“He’s my second cousin”) who had served with Ky in the recent war.
All of them seemed alert now, listening to one another—better than the initial blankness. Master Sergeant Marek pulled himself up to sitting before all the others had finished.
“I’m from the west coast of Arland, Sogrun,” he said. “Twenty-five years in, communications specialist. Just in from duty on one of the big satellites.”
“Glad you’re feeling better, Master Sergeant,” Ky said.
“I’m fine now. Don’t worry—I’m not that old.”
She hadn’t meant to imply he had been hypothermic because he was old. “Your suit had rips in both arm and leg. We can’t fully repair it, but we did find rolls of repair tape that should hold for a while.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” he said. “I think—” He was interrupted by someone yelling from outside.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ky slithered over to the canopy opening, unfastened it, and looked out; cold rain stung her face. Her aide was staring out a narrow opening in the other raft’s canopy. “Admiral! What am I supposed to do? I don’t know any of these people and—and I don’t have the right training for this! They’re just—just sitting there, staring at me and there’s water in the bottom of the raft, and—”
“You’ve got some good people there, Commander Bentik. Tech Lundin—is she caring for the injured?” Best to be formal when a Cascadian was upset. Jen did not look any less upset.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said again, her voice rising to a wail. Behind her, Ky caught a glimpse of another face, looking worried. With Bentik acting and sounding terrified, no wonder.
“Maybe I can calm things,” Marek said from behind her. “Would you like me to switch to that raft and help her out? She is a stranger to Slotter Key, after all.”
Ky managed not to snap I know that at him; it was a good idea if he could manage it, but she didn’t want to risk his falling into the water again. “Thank you, Master Sergeant, that’s a good idea. Get someone to tape up your suit, and we’ll hook in a safety line for you.” To her aide she said, “I’ll send you Master Sergeant Marek; he’s been through the training and will help you out. I still think it’s important to have an officer in each raft.”
“Of course it is,” Jen said, scowling now. “It would be even better if I were in their chain of command. Tell me when he’s coming over and I’ll open the canopy for him.” She jerked it closed before Ky could answer. Ky sighed and looked around. Marek was taping up the rip in the arm, and Kurin was taping the one in the leg. In a few minutes, as Marek wrung out his wet uniform and put it back on, wincing at the damp chill, Kurin finished taping all the gashes. Marek kept one of the blankets, folding it around him as he worked his way into the survival suit and fastened it. Then he scooted over to the hatch and unfastened it. Ky clipped him in to the safety line she’d left attached to the outer cleat, and he called across to the other raft.
“Commander Bentik—I’m ready to board now.”
The other hatch opened, this time with Staff Sergeant Vispersen’s face visible. Vispersen reached out; he and Marek clasped arms and Marek slid from raft to raft with only one foot hitting the water as another wave passed beneath them. Marek turned around and looked at Ky as he unclipped the safety line and tossed it back to her. “Don’t worry, Admiral; I can handle the situation over here. Call if you need me.” He gave her a brief, tight smile then fastened the canopy hatch again; Ky did the same on her side.
Everyone in her raft was watching her now. Kurin put the mending tape back in its case, sealed the case, and put it away.
“Orders, sir?” Kurin said.
“For now,” Ky said, “all we have to do is keep the rafts afloat.” Tentative grins from some; others—Kurin, Cosper, McLenard, Yamini, Inyatta—nodded, clearly focused on what she was saying. “Let’s finish the introductions while it’s still light enough to see faces. Then Staff Sergeant Kurin and I will set up a schedule for meals, raft maintenance and hygiene, and a regular on–off watch rotation. I’m sure Master Sergeant Marek and Commander Bentik will do the same in the other raft.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tech Betange spoke next, in a monotone, looking down. “Space drive technician. I’m—my parents were killed—I’m going home to arrange something for my brothers and sisters. I’m the oldest. I—I need to be there!” He looked up for a moment. “If I—if we die, they’ll have nobody.”
“We will survive,” Ky said. “You will get back to them. We just have to be smart and careful.”
“You’re sure?”
“We’re breathing air and not water, we have supplies, and nobody’s shooting at us. To me, that says survival is possible. I intend all of us to make it home.”