The Recluse

Cam Reyse slouched in the command seat while he adjusted the inertial dampeners…again! His freighter – the Recluse – had been holding position for three hours in an ion storm that showed no sign of letting up. It was boring, but Reyse was a seasoned pilot who was used to the bumps and did not let these delays get to him. Normally, that is. The Recluse was ferrying passengers on this trip instead of freight and Reyse was starting to think he liked freight better. Cargo boxes did not talk! The chatter being reported from the hold was starting to get on his nerves.

“The natives are getting restless again, Captain,” Reyse’s first mate announced dryly as he returned to the cockpit.

“I just increased the dampening field!” Reyse shot back. “I thought they were all ex-freight haulers. Are you telling me they’ve never been through an ion storm?”

Lieutenant Caruso just shrugged. They had been flying together for nearly ten years, and Reyse’s occasional outbursts just slid off his back. “You would think they had, but something’s not sitting right with them.”

“Humph,” Reyse snorted. “I suppose it could be the dinner rations from the Jolesck dock. You’re going to have to tell them the dampeners are at maximum…nothing more I can do up here.”

“I already did.” Caruso lowered himself into the co-pilot’s seat. “I think they just don’t like sitting still like this.”

“Neither do I, but if we fire up the mains we’ll risk ionizing the entire hull. Besides, the nav shields won’t be able to compensate for the extra turbulence. They ought to know that!”

 ”Preachin’ to the choir, Captain.”

Caruso leaned back in the seat and the two men stared out the front window at the swirls of light, energy, and debris the storm was throwing at them. Atomic particles hanging in space, charged by a solar flare and riding on intense solar winds, were pushing a wave of plasma in a highly magnetic, highly unstable force that cut through space without concern for anything in its way. It was an impressive display, but both knew the light show could be as deadly as it was spectacular.

 ”You know,” Caruso said, breaking the brief silence, “the storm does look stronger than usual.”

“Yeah, I was thinking that too.” Reyse let out a long breath. “Maybe our guests have never been through one this strong.”

“Who can say,” the lieutenant chuckled. “It doesn’t seem to be bothering all of them, though. They’ve got one guy in the back of the hold catching a nap.”

“Is that so?” Reyse said, turning towards Caruso. “Glad there’s someone with some sense on board.” Reyse stood and turned toward the cockpit door. “I guess there’s nothing else to do up here. Time for the captain play counselor!”

Caruso followed his captain down the short gangway. The Recluse was a Nomad-class freighter with a multi-purpose hold. Converting from box storage to passenger seating was a simple matter of raising the surprisingly comfortable seats from their storage bins below the deck. The cargo harnesses easily secured the baggage, and there were even viewports that could be opened – which until three hours ago had seemed like a good idea to Reyse.

They stepped through the door and found a contingent of twelve men huddled together by one of the side walls. None were visibly fearful, but they were not speaking and had closed the viewports. Reyse passed the vacant seats and approached the group.

“I believe Lieutenant Caruso explained that the inertial dampeners are now at maximum,” he began, getting nods from a few men. “I don’t expect the turbulence to get worse. But if it does, you should know that the Recluse has been rated to withstand category-five storms or higher.” He paused and gave a casual shrug. “Not that I’d want to ride her through one, mind you. But I can assure you that we will be safe…”

“I don’t mean to doubt you, sir,” one of the older men interrupted, standing as he did, “but this isn’t looking like a typical ion storm.”

Reyse took the interruption in stride. “I’m sorry. I should have taken time to introduce myself. Captain Cam Reyse.” He extended his hand toward his guest.

“Peter Wylan, former captain of the Deep Sea Hauler,” the other said, taking the hand in a firm grip. “I noticed the wave patterns in the storm are different from most…more violent. I don’t know if navigation shields can handle the increased sheering force.”

A shudder ran through the deck of the freighter hold, accentuating Wylan’s point. Reyse found himself gripping the nearest chair for balance.

“I appreciate the concern, Captain…”

“Please, Captain,” Wylan interrupted, “I’m retired. You can call me Peter.”

“Very well,” Reyse said. “I appreciate your concern, Peter. But I’ve seen these shields handle a lot.”

 ”Oh, I don’t doubt that…and I’m sure this craft can handle much more. But there was something in the pattern I saw before my brother closed the viewports – something I hadn’t…”

Wylan was cut off by a muted alarm from the cockpit. Caruso moved to a control panel by hatch and, after scrolling through a couple of screens, ducked back up the gangway. He returned a few moments later with a slightly worried expression on his face.

“Captain, it appears the nav shields are starting to stress. The storm’s still reading category-three, but it looks like a Moreton Wave set off some magnetic sheer that’s wreaking a little havoc.”

“Okay,” Reyse sighed, trying not to steal a glance in Wylan’s direction and risk an I-told-you-so. He hated those! “Get back to the cockpit and monitor things from up there. We may have to switch to manual station keeping if it goes for too long.” Caruso’s look was only readable to Reyse, but it was enough to solicit a mock reprimand. “We have passengers, Lieutenant,” he said sternly, then let his face fall into a grin to break any tension. “Let’s hope it’s not necessary. Go on…get out of here.”

“Yes, sir,” Caruso smiled in return and walked back to the gangway.

“What’s a ‘Moreton Wave?’” a younger man asked from behind Reyse. Cam turned and found him standing next to Wylan.

“It’s basically a solar tsunami,” Wylan answered. Then turning back to Reyse, he said, “This is Andrew, my brother. He’s a brilliant Loadmaster, but couldn’t navigate the shipping lanes if his life depended on it!”

“Captain Cam Reyse.” He extended his hand to the younger Wylan. “It’s really nothing to worry about. We didn’t detect the wave when the storm hit. Probably just residual effects drifting in from a few sectors over. It’s been known to happen.”

“What about the nav shields and the inertial dampeners?” Andrew asked. “Will they hold?”

“Yeah, they’ll hold,” Reyse reassured him. “If worse comes to worse we can always switch to manual and move the ship ourselves to reduce the stress on the shields and smooth out the ride. Nothing quite like the human touch! The best bet is for you to follow his lead,” he pointed to the man sleeping by the back wall, “and get some rest.”

“I doubt that that will happen, Captain,” Peter said, “but thanks for the reassurance.”

“You know something he doesn’t?”

“Captain,” Peter responded, somewhat defensively, “Joshua doesn’t get much chance to rest. He is in constant demand everywhere he goes and is busy teaching us when he’s not out in public. Sleep is quite the commodity in his world, and he takes it when he can get it.”

Reyse was about to respond when the ship shook and listed to one side. While the floor leveled quickly, it was still enough to take those who were standing off their feet. The ship’s intercom flooded the room with Caruso’s voice.

“Captain, you’re needed in the cockpit.”

“Please excuse me, gentlemen,” Reyse said, picking himself off the floor. “I have a feeling we are going to manual.”

He quickly joined Caruso in the cockpit and scanned the instruments. It was not a pleasant sight. “Magnetic sheer is increasing,” he commented, mostly to himself, “inertial dampeners are being overrun, nav shields are definitely weakening…”

“Sir,” Caruso interrupted, “sensors are showing a Moreton Wave in this sector…and it looks like it’s heading this way.”

“Another one? That’s not normal!” Reyse glanced at the instruments again and frowned. “We can’t withstand a shock wave of that magnitude…not without heavy damage. Go to manual and get the ship turned around. We’ll have to ride it.”

“Sir?” Caruso turned to look at him, visibly worried. “You can’t be serious! The Recluse will be totally out of control and the dampeners won’t be able to…”

“I know, Lieutenant. But unless you have a better idea, we’re going to have to risk it. We may get banged around and end up horribly off course, but at least the hull won’t breach. Go to manual!”

“Aye, sir.”

Reyse left the cockpit and returned to the hold. Peter had gathered their group together and moved them to the seats where they could strap themselves in. The jolt had awakened Joshua and he was trying to calm the others down. It did not look like it was working.

“…you were sleeping!” Reyse heard one of them saying to Joshua. “Do you even know what’s going on? We are going to die!”

“We are not going to die,” Reyse interjected. He looked at Joshua, who had an oddly peaceful look on his face. Joshua nodded in acknowledgement and Reyse continued. “However, things are going to get a little bumpy. We’ve detected another Moreton Wave that seems to be heading this way. With as strong as the storm’s been to this point, I’ve decided to ride the wave instead of trying to punch through it. I need to ask you to secure any – and I mean any – loose items and then make sure you are strapped into a seat. Don’t get out until I tell you it’s all clear. Is that understood?”

There was complete silence for a few moments and then everyone started talking at once. Some told Reyse he was crazy; others yelled at Joshua for leading them to their deaths; and a few were just making noise to drown out their fear. Within moments, however, it was clear to Reyse what they thought of his decision. The ship shuddered as Caruso started to bring it around, and the captain saw Joshua approach out of the corner of his eye.

“Captain Reyse,” he said before the captain could speak, “I believe I can be of assistance. Please show me to the cockpit.”

“Wait a minute. Are you that Joshua?” Reyse asked skeptically, finally getting a good look at the man. “The teacher who’s been moving from dock to dock with this new philosophy that’s got everyone up in arms?”

“That would be me,” Joshua answered with a disarming smile. “I’m actually a builder by trade, but I have some knowledge of space travel. Please, I’d like to help.”

“Captain, you really need to get back up here.”

Caruso’s voice only fed the sense of panic that seemed to fill all but Joshua. The builder continued to look a Reyse with that oddly peaceful expression. It screamed for trust, and without really knowing why, Reyse decided that maybe he could help.

“Follow me,” he said, and started back to the cockpit. Caruso was more than willing to relinquish the command seat when he arrived.

“Manual override is engaged, sir,” the lieutenant reported, “but the thrusters are struggling.” He looked over his shoulder. “And this is a really bad time for a tour.”

“Huh?” Reyse looked up from the controls. “Oh. This is Joshua…the sleeping man. He says he can help.”

“And the other two?”

“What…” Reyse spun in his seat to see Andrew and Peter jammed into the doorway so that no one could move. “Never mind,” he said, focusing back on Joshua. “You said you could help. Do your thing!”

The ship was still struggling to turn and a massive, fast-moving wall of plasma was already visible through the starboard window. Reaching in front of the captain, Joshua took the controls and began to turn the ship back into the energy flow. Reyse was about to protest when he noticed Joshua’s piercing gaze fixed out the window. The Recluse slowly continued to turn, bucking and shuddering under the increasing force of the storm, until her bow was pointed directly into the wave. Without looking at the controls, Joshua shut down the ships engines and formed his lips into a tight circle…

…and blew.

Reyse and the other just stared at him. Joshua stood by the captain’s seat without moving, never taking his eyes off the wave. A long steady breath was escaping his mouth – much longer than every man crammed into the cockpit thought possible. For several seconds, no one took their eyes off him. Finally, Andrew looked out the front window.

“Look!” he shouted excitedly.

The other three men turned and saw what was left of the wave looming ahead. From the rapidly dissipating energy swirls, it was clear that the wave was breaking down. They watched as the last bits of plasma drifted harmlessly past the window, causing only a faint vibration in the ship’s hull. Somehow, with nothing more his breath, Joshua had completely broken up the storm. The space ahead of them was clear.

There was complete silence for a few moments. Then, from the back of the cockpit, Peter’s voice drifted faintly. “You blew away an ion storm???”

Joshua turned and looked at him with the same piercing – but now somehow compassionate – eyes that had stared down the wave.

“Have you not listened to anything I’ve been teaching you?” he asked in a surprisingly gentle voice. Then, turning to leave, he spoke to Reyse, who was still in the command seat and staring out the window. “Thank you for the chance to help, Captain. We’ll be ready to get underway when you are.”

Reyse said nothing and continued to stare into the now-empty space ahead as Joshua walked back to the hold – Peter and Andrew in tow. When he finally found his voice again, he whispered: “Sure. Anytime.”