COMPETE: The Atlantis Grail (Book Two) - Preview

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO (draft)

​CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Some time after midnight, I am awakened out of a troubled sleep by the now familiar androgynous voice of the ship's computer.

"Now entering Neptune orbital perihelion. . . ."

About five seconds later, it comes back on with:

"Now leaving Neptune orbital aphelion."

And then, another ten seconds later:

"Now entering the Kuiper Belt region. On approach with heliopause."

I lie awake in the soft darkness, motionless so as not to trigger the light sensors. And I try to think—to imagine the impossible cosmic distance that now separates me from the tiny ball of rock called Earth, upon which I was born.

My Mom and Dad, my brother George, everyone and everything I know, is billions of kilometers away, literally.

Billions.

It's not really something any human being can imagine. It's completely off the human scale.

And just trying to visualize, to imagine any of it, brings back that sickening dizziness that I'm beginning to call space vertigo. My head, still not completely recovered from the concussion of a day ago, begins to hurt again.

I have no idea how, but eventually I fall back asleep.

​* * *​

The next day is completely uneventful. In the morning, when I get to the CCO, no one else is there except Anu, who informs me that the CP is doing ship-wide general inspection and will likely be out all day, and that Gennio is gone to do some other errands until late afternoon.

"I am going to be in Hydroponics in an hour, so you will need to watch the office until your first class. What and when is your first class, Earth Girl?"

"Not until 1:00 PM," I say, turning on my work console. "And it's Pilot Training. It's always Pilot Training, remember?"

"Excellent. Then you can answer the calls this morning."

I frown at Anu, while my stomach starts to turn queasy with butterflies. I really don't like where this is going. "Okay, what am I supposed to do if they talk to me in Atlantean?"

"Talk to them in English. They will understand. Everyone studied your English before we got deployed here."

"What if the Imperator calls?"

Anu makes a loud snort of laughter. "He knows English too."

"Oh, crap . . ." I mutter. "How would I even begin to talk to him?"

"Ask Consul Denu. He's supposed to be teaching you all the correct Imperial Protocol."

"Oh, lord, no," I say. But Anu is right. If I need help in this area, the Consul is the one person to turn to. But do I really want to open that perfumed can of worms by calling him now?

Oh, no. . . . Just, no.

Seeing my dour expression, Anu laughs and laughs.

I really, really, really want to kill the snotty jerk. I swear, one of these days. . . .

​* * *​

Somehow I survive the morning after the little jerk goes to Hydroponics, leaving me completely alone in the office. Lucky for me, no one calls except for one very serious looking, elegantly dressed Atlantean official from Poseidon, who fortunately addresses me in perfect English, and a couple of officers from other ships. I tell them all the CP is unavailable, and ask if they would care to call back or leave a message.