You, Me, We Are All Mistakes

15. A FIFTH PROJECTILE

The migrant ship, minus ancillary fin, wobbled helplessly in space. On board was a duality offering well-lit mass hysteria or lonesome panic amid the darker recesses.

"What the hell happened to the alarms!" thundered Sennai.

"You ordered me to turn them off," replied Taroooc, "...and against my instincts, I conformed."

"Next impact due in four seconds," reported Walta, relishing the moment. This was the longest form of consecutive communication he had experienced throughout the current voyage. He blew air from his bottom lip to ruffle his tapering fringe. As Navigator his routine reports, every billion kilotecs, were ignored by his colleagues, always informing them their ship was still on course and the navigational circuits remained in full control.

A four second silence ensued. Then another blinding flash, yet on this occasion no hump-backed bridge and no stomach strapping. The crew experienced a gentle rumble, a distant roar, fading to the total absence of sound. For an instant, each heartbeat drummed through their ears.

Finally, Walta reported:

"Fourth Weaponify projectile detonated one million kilotecs from ship. Fifth projectile slowing. Impact time indeterminate."

Sennai stared at him blankly.

"Projectile!" he blared. "Slowing... one mill...".

A brief pause led the remaining occupants of the ship's bridge to stare nervously at each other, questioning why they were being stared at.

"What just happened?" demanded the Captain.

No answer.

"Why did that fourth missile detonate... before it hit us?"

The quiet remained.

Perceptibly, Deluxia turned slightly in her seat. Clearing her throat, she hesitated obligingly for the rest of the crew to attend her announcement, then raised her eyebrows and announced: "So... I think that was me."

And then wished she hadn't.

Deluxia was middle-aged for her species. Although an edge-dwelling race, Terracoscienns are widely respected for their intensely fine, slender features and indefinable allure to the widest range of fauna. Possessing all these traits, Deluxia joined the Fleet as a Cadet during her earliest work-life, with direct entry to the widely diverse migrant division. After a fulfilled and commended service, she left to bear her offspring, recently returning contented, wiser and in need of a pension top-up. With an assured confidence she enjoyed her Senior Communications role, yet her unpresuming demeanor shunned herd attention and her unfamiliar discomfort at this exact moment had to be calmed by two deep breaths.

Many eyes were upon her.

"You!" exclaimed Sennai. He scanned the incredulous crew for verification, and then called out: "Supercomputer! Calculate the probability Deluxia could have stopped the fourth missile at a range of one million kilotecs."

Small speakers embedded in every facet of the bridge clicked faintly.

"Is that all?" asked Supercomputer.

"Yes!" ordered Sennai.

"Okay. The probability that Deluxia (snigger) could have stopped that missile at a range of one million kilotecs is... preparing... one chance in..."

"Captain, this is unnecessary and inconsiderate. If you will let me explain."

"I'm just checking the numbers, Deluxia."

"One chance in nine hundred and seventy-six thousand three hundred and eleven," continued Supercomputer, "and incidentally, did you know that the relationship between Deluxia's Terracoscienn binary star, the site of the explosion, and a point that the ship is about to pass through in exactly three point eight nine seconds... is a perfect equilateral triangle?"