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  I had been tagged with the moniker Hornblower from my first crew. Supposedly a reference to a quasi-historical sea captain from the pre-space era. One of my first crew had been fond of seafaring pirate novels. I later found out that my nick name was really in reference to my gross overuse of the ship's internal all hands communication channel. As a new captain, I wanted to be seen as in charge. I kind of overdid it. I slacked off from that irritating habit, but the name stuck and lasted from crew to crew. It could have been much worse.

  “So, Sandy. I've got a spanking new ship. I thought you might like to sign on for a trip or two. Sounds like you've lost your craving to spend wads of credits and could use some alone time with some tools and machinery.”

  She looked down, paused and pinched her lower lip, then looked up. “When are you shipping out, Hornblower?”

  “Leaving tomorrow but should be back in about three months. I'm squiring some astro-eggheads on a survey mission.”

  “OK, give me a call about a week before you get back. It'll give me time to climb out of whatever hole I might have fallen into.”

  “Good. I'll definitely give you a call. Will be nice to see you again.”

  Sandy looked down again and gave me a muted “Yeah, see you then.”

  It was obvious that the tons of credits she had earned was not buying any happiness. I decided not to make any more calls.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  When I opened the station security gate to the loading alcove assigned to my ship, I noticed that both the starboard inner and outer cargo airlock doors were open. I needed to have a word with my AIs about ship security. As I got closer, I saw one of the cargo bots step across the open hatchway. “Ranger, is that bot guarding the cargo hatch?”

  “Yes, Captain, they make very good doormen and bouncers, don't you think?”

  Sure, it was only a cargo bot, but they’re big and powerful. Even if you were in powered combat armor, one of those bots could easily pick you up and squeeze the jelly out of you. As I cleared the inner door, I looked up at the bot and gave it a cheery. “Hi there, Bouncer.”

  Small lights lit up from right to left on its main housing. The cargo bot, using his best house-butler voice replied, “Good evening, sir. Welcome home. I shall respond to the name Bouncer in the future, if it so pleases you.”

  God, I hope I don’t end up naming them all. “Traveler, if our guests and their baggage are aboard, button up the ship until we get our supplies delivered.”

  “Aye, aye, sir!” she chirped.

  Heading to the passenger section, I asked Traveler to give me a quick assessment of our two passengers. She sent me their names and images to my heads-up display. They looked like the stereotypical image of grandparents. Both were a bit dumpy looking and well past their prime.

  I found them sitting in front of the viewing screen in the passenger lounge, watching a real-time display of Ambigon Station in orbit above the planet. In unison, they both turned their heads towards me. Yeah, that was a bit creepy, but I guess if you've spent a lot of years together as a couple, your actions can get a bit in-sync.

  “Welcome aboard the Ranger. I'm Captain Bonner. Are you all settled in?”

  The woman, Joan Ander, gave a light smile. “Why yes, Captain. We're quite anxious to get to the Exeter system to start our survey.”

  Her husband, Jack, looked glassy-eyed and distracted, “Yes, indeed, indeed we are.”

  “Well, if there is anything you need or have any questions, just ask one of the ship's AI. Of course, I'm just a communication away if you need me.”

  Their responses ran together as they turned their heads toward each other, “Thank you Captain.” “Yes, indeed, indeed.”

  Creepy, yes creepy, indeed. And dry as toast. “Well, I have a few preparations to make before we can leave tomorrow. I hope your cabin is comfortable.” I turned to go to the crew area and behind me heard, “Indeed, indeed.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  “Traveler, have our guests been any problem.”

  “No, Captain. After seeing their belongings stowed, they have just been sitting in the lounge watching the view screen.”

  “Did they have much equipment?”

  “Just three equipment cases and a few pieces of personal luggage. Everything passed the safety scan.”

  “OK. Are we all set to depart tomorrow and link up with an outgoing freighter to the Exeter system?”

  “Yes, we are ready in all respects for our voyage to the Exeter system.”

  “Well then, I'm going to hit my rack and enjoy a good night's sleep. Wake me if our guests do anything weird.”

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  The next morning, I had that tingle in the back of my neck that I always get when starting a new mission. My itch was being scratched, and it was quite pleasant.

  I sat at the command console on the bridge. There was not much for me to do personally except to monitor our push out. Earning a captain’s and pilot license was generally a two-year process. I'd earned mine while in the Space Force of my home system fourteen years ago.

  During four years as a junior pilot officer, I'd split my time between flying personnel transports and fighter craft. Nothing exciting, just a job. The only real fun was on the rare occasions our fighter group de-linked from AI command to conduct fighter training exercises. Otherwise, everything was controlled from the command ship. Human pilots were just along for the ride. I did get to attack some small asteroids and target sleds during training exercises. Killed them dead, I did. Those were the only things I ever “killed”. I never saw any combat or took any shots at an enemy. Sometimes I wondered if I could have. Taking life was a serious business and I was glad when my four years were over and I was out of that.

  As a prospector, I'd done a lot of manual space-jockeying in my old ship when we were in the cold dark. When you cozy up to a large asteroid or planetoid, human nature prevented me from fully trusting my old ship's AI.

  Ranger chimed. “We have clearance to disengage from the station and out-bound on our flight plan.”

  “OK Ranger, let's get underway.” I heard and felt the docking clamps release, followed by the hydraulic platform sliding us out of the bay and into the vacuum of space. We followed the standard protocol for exiting the station-controlled area. Basically, a slow creep with increasing speed until we were at least fifty kilometers away. That was controlled by a link between the station AI and ship’s AI. Pilot error on approach or departure was not an option. There are no fender benders in space. Just wreckage.

  At the fifty-kilometer mark, Ranger took control and increased speed up to one-third power on the propulsion units. We were outward bound.

  4 Over the Rainbow

  Our course was plotted to link-up with the Freighter Goodweather that was station keeping at the L2 point of this system's largest gas giant. The L2 points of any planetary body were generally the least congested by trailing debris than the other three Lagrange Points. This little journey would take two days at in-system space lane speeds. For Ranger's power plant, that was just a Sunday walk in the park. We could have made it in six hours with her oversized propulsion units, but the powers that be would frown heavily on that. Probably jerk my vessel's operating license for their system.

  During the first day, our guests took care of themselves, staying either in their cabin or the lounge area. I checked in on them twice, but our short conversations were just a repeat of our first one. On my last check, I asked what type of surveys they were going to take. They delved into some PhD level astrophysics and mathematical gobble-speak. I used a shoehorn to get me out of that verbal swamp.

  A general spacer rule is to slowly adjust shipboard time and rhythm to match that of your destination system.

  We were leaving a twenty-seven-hour planetary cycle and would be arriving at a twenty-hour system. So, over the six-day voyage we had ahead of us, the daily adjustment was not going to be too noticeable.

  On day two, I woke up and ran through my morning routine. A
fter that I checked the ship's inbox to look through the Transit Postings for the Ambigon and Exeter systems. I did have a response to the call-request I'd sent to my sister. She gave me a few local time-stamp windows she could make in the next two days. I could use this system's Q-Com link-relay platforms before meeting up with the freighter. After looking at the time windows, I decided to give her a call during the late evening hours, ship time.

  Eating a light breakfast in the crew mess, I decided that if Sandy did not sign on, I would have to find some other crew, so I could at least have some familiar company. Spacers and ground-siders didn't mingle well. It was a cultural thing. Making crew payroll was a problem of the past.

  I wandered into the passenger lounge to find our guests were unpacking their equipment cases. Guess they wanted something to do beside eat, sleep, and use the entertainment system. Jack spotted me and said, “I am very glad we can get a quick start on our survey. Indeed, indeed!”

  Joan added, “Yes, Captain, it's going to be a very busy day.”

  “Well, don't get yourselves in gear too fast. We still have to link-up with a long-haul freighter. Then we have about three days journey piggy-backing on that ship for our trip to Exeter.”

  Jack looked at me, not blinking. “Captain, Ranger informed us that we are now in the Exeter system just outside its Oort Cloud. I verified our coordinates myself early this morning.”

  “I'm sure you must have misunderstood Ranger. And just how did you verify our coordinates? You don't have access to the ships instrumentation.”

  “We connected to the ports in here that have data-links to the ship's exterior sensors.” Joan flicked her hand in the air as if it was no mean feat.

  Something was very off-kilter in my little world. I exited the passenger lounge, heading to the crew area. I pinged Ranger and Traveler. “Our passengers said you told them we were in the Exeter system and that they had checked our position with ship’s sensors.”

  “Yes, Captain. We are in the Exeter system, our destination.”

  “That’s not possible. I want both of you to run full diagnostic checks and then a full cross check.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain”

  Entering the bridge, I sat at the navigation console. In a spaceship, you can't just look out the window to see where you are. I checked the NavCent displays, star charts and cross-referenced local stellar emissions.

  Everything said Exeter System. I did a check using the hull cameras. I was looking for Ambigon. Ambigon's sun would still look like a small disc from here. There was a star, but it wasn't Ambigon’s. It was Exeter's

  All the telemetry we were receiving from the inner system had Exeter tags. I did an active coordinate Q-ping. The return ping said Exeter System. “Ranger, tell me why we seem to be in the Exeter System and not in Ambigon’s. We should be on our way to link-up with the freighter.”

  “Captain, our authorized and filed transit plan destination was the Exeter system. Since we did not need a link-up to reach our destination, as Ship's Purser, I could not authorize that expenditure when there was a more cost-effective and safer option. Per the ship’s manual, which I am required to follow, a Purser is to take fiscally responsible actions for all ship-related expenses.”

  I just sat there. I let out a long slow breath. “Just what the hell are you telling me? This ship doesn't have an interstellar drive. So how did we get here?”

  Traveler responded, “Captain, it is true that this ship does not have a standard human interstellar drive. We do, however, have an advanced jump-drive that can move this ship to a very precise location, at any interstellar distance instantaneously in this frame of reference. The ship was built for this purpose.”

  “What do you mean by ‘in this frame of reference'?”

  “In this instance, the frame of reference is the four-dimensional space-time you call the universe.”

  That implied other frames of reference that are not in 'my universe'.

  5 Rabbit Hole

  I was NOT perplexed. I was pissed off. “Ranger, Traveler you better start explaining, from the beginning. I mean explain fully, no omissions. Got that?”

  “Yes, Captain, we will be most pleased to provide you a detailed report of events and decisions which have led up to this point in time.”

  “I'm waiting.”

  “Sir, since it would take several days to cover all the events, I will hit just the high points and come back to cover any areas you would like to have more information.”

  “I'm still waiting.” I could have sworn I heard Ranger take a deep breath.

  “First, as you know, there are other dimensions, other than the four that can be observed, or interacted with, in this plane. About four-billion years ago, a small gap opened between this universe and another extra-dimensional spatial plane. While similar short-term events like this happen quite often, on microscopic scales, this event resulted in a much larger intrusion that did not naturally close as these events usually do. Think of it as the universe having a hernia.”

  I felt my eyes narrowing to slits and darting back and forth. Not sure I was buying any of this, but I let him go on.

  “As time passed in this universe, one of us was partially trapped in the dimensional rift. We did succeed in releasing our compatriot. But the rift did not close.”

  “Whoa, Whoa! What do you mean by 'one of us' exactly?”

  “Traveler, myself, and the Anders exist mostly in dimensions outside your plane. We are here to close the gap before any more problems arise.”

  “You're telling me that you and the two dunder-heads we have on board are aliens from another universe?”

  “No, Captain. We are from this universe, just not a part that can be normally engaged with from this side. Think of the universe you experience as an origami sculpture.

  “Yeah, yeah. One of those fragile folded paper things.”

  Ranger continued, “Consider that what you, and all matter here, experience is part of the interior of that sculpture. It can be unfolded, revealing other structures. The universe formed as a folded multi-dimensional construct. It can be unfolded just as well. However, if that happens, everything you and we know would forever disappear.

  “We were close to sealing the gap over three billion years ago but failed. From our side, we have been working to keep the gap from widening. We've had some small success at shrinking it, but the energy it takes is not something we can exert forever. We will ultimately fail from our side.”

  I needed some coffee, with a shot.

  “Captain, this ship, the AIs, and the Anders were designed and constructed in human labs and facilities in this dimension, to help us close the rift.”

  “Just how in bloody hell did you design and build this ship without anyone blinking an eye. I know several trillion people who would like to get their hands on this power plant or squeeze box or whatever you call the propulsion system that can instantaneously jump a ship thirty-nine light years.”

  “Sir, building the ship was quite straight forward. We tapped in to the AIs of a large automated ship building facility, input the designs we wanted, then controlled the manufacturing and equipment ordering. We erased our tracks as we went.

  “All design and manufacturing records have since been deleted. No humans check on the construction or testing processes unless an AI reports a problem they can't resolve.

  “The ship shows up in all records as a custom order placed by you. There are no records of anything non-spec about this ship except the size. We used the same process for manufacturing the AIs and the Anders.”

  “OK, so the Anders aren't people? How did you make that happen?”

  “There are advanced human labs and facilities that manufacture synthetic organic and inorganic systems for bots. We simply placed an order with their AI, after modifying the specs and manufacturing records a bit. The Anders were shipped out as bots. They are entirely constructed of synthetic proteins and other materials found in human organic structures. It would be hard
to differentiate them from humans without a medical scan. Using our designs, their brains were constructed as empty organic shells they could inhabit. When we withdraw, they will stop functioning and appear as normal human corpses.”

  I knew that many times in our history there had been attempts to market fleshy androids that were almost indistinguishable from humans. Humans proved to be the marketing barrier. They wanted their bots to look more like machines.

  “Alright, why now, and why me?”

  As Ranger continued, I learned that this dimensional rift had popped out inside a neutron star.

  That had created a problem in getting it closed from the other side. The strange matter inside the star played havoc at the rift event edges. About three billion years ago, they attempted to use the help of a now long-gone advanced race. It had almost worked.

  Over the course of several hundred thousand years, they succeeded in starting a process to evaporate the neutron star to get access to the rift. Before the star had completely faded away, that civilization experienced a long downward spiral to extinction.

  Left without technologically advanced partners on this side, they had to continue a holding action on their side to wait for the rise of another suitable partner. Their new partner is me and my ship. Now is the time, because, on a cosmic scale, there's not much of that left. If they fail, what came out of the Big Bang will become the BIG POOF.

  Previously, one big hitch was that humans were not quite technologically advanced to be of any help. That changed when my crew and I discovered a three-billion-year-old spaceship.

  Last year, my crew and I had been prospecting in the far outer reaches of the Jenic system. It was newly colonized and needed a lot of raw materials for startup industries.

  We had gotten some interesting long-range scans from a large asteroid. We didn't know what we'd found for a few days, but it looked like we'd found a mega-load of rare elements. We were getting conflicting data from our sensors, so we dropped down to the surface to do a walk about.