Choice of the Gallant - Paradox Equation I

  Chapter Three

  Lane handed his captain his resignation and waited while he read it.

  "I must say, this is something I would never have expected, Lieutenant."

  "I know, Sir. It's necessary or I wouldn't do it."

  "You're a fine officer. I hate to lose you, but I wish you every success. When do you want this to become effective?"

  "The day after tomorrow, Sir."

  "Very well, Lieutenant. I will so enter it. Would you like me to order transport for you?"

  "No, Sir, that will take care of itself."

  "The day after tomorrow."

  "Yes, Sir."

  Lane walked out of the lift just as the blip appeared on the tech's screen. That was as far as his future memory could be trusted. He intended to change everything he remembered after it.

  "Captain, we have a ship on long range scanners. I'm trying to establish communications, but I haven't received a response."

  "Any information on the type of craft?"

  "No, Sir."

  "Captain, you won't receive a response. That ship doesn't belong here. I know how it got here and can get it back. The occupant is dying and needs my assistance. I ask that you transport me aboard at maximum range."

  "I would like more information, Mr. Gallant."

  "Just Lane, Captain. He needs me. That ship is my transport. It's weaponless and, at the moment, defenseless."

  "Lane, if this request came from anyone else, I'd probably deny it. Will you notify me when you're safely aboard?"

  "Yes, Captain, I will."

  The captain stood and walked over to the young man who had so recently been one of his finest officers. He shook his hand.

  "Take care of yourself. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say you will be missed."

  A chorus of affirmation from the other members of the bridge crew followed his words. Lane smiled at the people he'd known and worked with for three years, some of them longer.

  "You'll hear from me again, Captain, and some of you, I shall see again. Good journeys to you all."

  He turned and left the bridge. It had hurt to resign the fleet, but he knew the time had come, had known it would come. He was ready, but it still hurt and there was another goodbye that was going to be even harder. The transporter chief was his best friend and wasn't going to just let him beam out of his life.

  "Lane, I want to know what's going on."

  "Mick, it's time for me to start work in the family business. I'm needed. You know how it is with me. I've seen things coming. That ship out there is the beginning of a series of events that must be changed. I can't change them as an officer in the fleet. I have to be outside the rules."

  "We're going to lose two other officers too, aren't we? You're going to get your brothers."

  "Mick, are you sure you don't see the future?"

  Mick smiled. It was an old joke. One that they'd shared since they had become friends three years before.

  "Take care of yourself and keep in touch or I'll hunt you down and break your arm."

  "I'll be in touch, Mick. Good journeys."

  "Good journeys."

  Lane smiled at the closest friend he'd ever had, other than his brothers and father, as the transporter hummed into function. He would keep in touch with him. If he survived the next ten minutes.

  He started moving as soon as he materialized. The beam hit the place he had been.

  "I'm here to help! I know where you're from! I can save your life and get you back! Don't you think this ship has enough--"

  He dove behind the console.

  "Damage without you shooting up the bridge! My name's Lane!"

  That had been too close.

  "Yours is Pethnar. I can see--"

  He dashed across an open space.

  "The future! If you don't kill me, we both have one!"

  He waited a few moments, then slowly stood with his hands in the air.

  "That's better. See, no weapons. First we need to cancel the self-destruct. I can get you home, if you'll just let me."

  The man nodded, then folded.

  Lane raced for the engine room. He had a very short time to cancel the self-destruct. He grabbed the cutter out of his pocket and ripped a panel off. He clipped a connector and yanked off another panel. He pulled out a circuit board and ran back to the bridge. He dove under the central computer console and clipped two more connectors, scrambled up and hit the sequence on the pilot's board. The self-destruct stopped ticking.

  He'd have taken time for a sigh of relief if he'd been able to afford it. He pulled his pilfered medical supplies out and went to work on the severely injured anthropoid. He wished his former captain would give him a few minutes. The constant beep of the communications console was a distraction. He reached up with one hand, opened a channel, said, "I'm real busy. Call you back," and snapped it closed. It stopped beeping.

  He took time for his sigh of relief. He'd made it. The young man would live. He held back the dizziness and carried him to a cabin. He struggled back to the bridge and opened a channel. They were waiting.

  "Hello, Captain. I'm all right, just had a great deal to do. I've saved the pilot, but it was close. I want to report you're short some medical equipment."

  "You don't sound all right, Lane. Are you sure? I don't suppose that ship has visual capabilities. We'd like to see you."

  "Ordinarily it does, but it's going to take a bit of repair. I'm just out of breath. I've been moving pretty fast. I have an operable ship and am about to get underway. Safe journeys, Captain. Thanks for standing by. Give my best to the crew. Parth ship Elpeth out."

  "Lane, wait! The medical supplies will be listed as humanitarian aid to injured lifeforms. Wouldn't want to add a negative postscript to an otherwise perfect record. Besides, I already filed it. You know how I hate to recall closed files. Federation ship Omaki out.

  Lane smiled, then groaned as his head spun. He forced himself to relax and let his consciousness float above the shifting images in his mind. He had changed the future. He would wait until the images settled, then see if it had been enough.

  Lane pushed aside the future memory that was no longer true and followed the one he'd created with the change. He moved the injured young man to a bed, then sat down beside him and waited for him to open his eyes.

  "Hello, Pethnar. I can feel you trying to communicate, but I'm not getting anything but your name and a few disconnected images. My dad is the real telepath in the family. Nod if you want me to take you home. I thought so. I know how you got here and I can get you back. I don't think you'll be in too much trouble. Your dad's going to be too happy to see you. You rest. I'll get steering and navigation back on line. Should be back in your own universe in a few hours."

  Lane started on the repairs. The bridge looked bad, but the damage Pethnar had done while shooting at him was mostly superficial. The real problem would be in rebuilding the defensive system. He checked the seal on the patch Pethnar had made. It looked good. He was glad he'd been able to save him. Anybody who had worked as hard as he had to survive deserved to make it.