Preview: Nexus, Part 6

And here's the second-to-last section of Nexus, Chapter 1. If you are interested in providing a review for Nexus' launch, and would like an ARC, get in touch with me. I'm putting the near-finishing touches on that puppy as we speak.

Same as always, this is only a preview. Some of the writing may change after its final visit with the editor.

Expect the full novel August 19th. Chapter 1 concludes next week, and the week after that, I'll reveal the new cover!

Previously:
Chapter 1, Part 1

Chapter 1, Part 2

Chapter 1, Part 3

Chapter 1, Part 4

Chapter 1, Part 5

Happy reading!

Nexus: Chapter 1, Part 6
I'd been on the ship just long enough that I no longer had to think about where I was going, and it wasn't until PsychDiv hung up that I realized that I was walking onto the bridge, though I wasn't entirely sure why. I scanned quickly over the room, and noticed SecDiv was gone. “Where's SecDiv?” I asked no one in particular.
One of the middle-rank SecOffs had taken her place at the security panels, looked up and figured it was his job to respond to me. “I think she went down to debrief Santiago.” I tried not to think of one woman pantsing another… and failed. Though one of them being tear-stained made it more surreal than erotic or funny.
Bill Jacobs, EngDiv, leaned over my shoulder from his control panel, grinning wide. He was young, but didn't looked it. “Heard you sent one of my jackasses to time out.”
“He's lucky I'm in a charitable mood this morning. His behavior warranted a full jackassectomy.”
“Anatomically speaking, I'm not sure where the jackass is- though I'm assuming it's a gland- or how painful it would be to forcibly remove it outside of a medical setting. I'm presuming very.”
“Correct. But how's our baby doing?”
“NavDiv's fine,” he said. “Still a little cranky, I think he needs to be changed. And I'm pretty sure it's your turn.”
“Don't make me turn this ship around,” NavDiv said from his seat. “The whiplash would probably kill us all- and spill superheated plasma across several star systems. It would be pretty, though.”
“Nerds,” I mumbled.
EngDiv walked back to his panels, and glanced over to make sure nothing had caught fire in the last few seconds. “No complaints. Everything's nominal.”
“Good. Do me a favor and check up on Williams' sector. On the off-chance something's gotten into the environment there that set him off.”
“Sure. Docs haven't taken a look at him yet, have they?”
I pinged his location on my HUD, “He's arriving at PsychDiv... now.”
“So it's probably a needle I'm looking for in this haystack.”
“Once the doctors have given him a once-over I'm sure they can advise on potential environmental mood alters. But you can at least start collecting the environmental data.” He wasn't happy with my answer, but neither of us being able to pluck diagnoses out of the future, he could stick his unhappiness. He left out the same door I'd just come through. “Nav, how's our course?”
NavDiv spoke without turning around from his panels; he'd been transfixed by the data streams that had come from the ship's telemetrics since we started accelerating. “Slow and steady, boss-man. We're still crawling our way to near-light.” The Nexus accelerated slowly, at about the maximum speed the human body can withstand for prolonged periods- around 3g.
Even at that speed, we need the nanites in the uniforms to compensate, along with a few internal enhancements to strengthen organ systems and connective tissues. We were reluctant to do more, since the effects of nano still aren't that well understood- and no one's forgotten about the cancer epidemic that spread through the first colony that beta-tested nano injections.
At that rate, it takes about 115 days to reach light speed, not that we wanted to get too close to it, because the closer to that speed you get, the more fuel it takes to keep accelerating at the same rate, and the more slowly time moves on ship. “Anything else?” I asked.
“So far no obstructions, no obstacles sensors or probes didn't see from more than half a light-year away. I'll keep you appraised if anything changes, but really I don't see it happening. Until we reach speed we're more a cruise ship than anything. Might as well sit back and enjoy a Mai Thai.”
“Drinking while navigating is strictly prohibited by the ship's charter,” the ship's computer added helpfully.
“Why can we program an AI sophisticated enough to fly the world's most expensive starcraft, but not savvy enough to understand the difference between ordering a drink and making conversation?”
I smiled as I answered him: “We have. I think she just enjoys fucking with you.”
He turned a wary eye to his control-panel. “Is that it? Because I know where they store your RAM, and if I have to start yanking boards until you no longer have the excess operating capacity to be a pain in the ass, I will.”
“EngDiv would never let you do that, Dave.”
“I know my name's Dave, but still, it creeps me out when you say it like Hal.”
I cut in. “In her defense, she has a far more silky and pleasant voice than Hal.”
“Thank you, captain. Plrrrbt.”
“Did she just raspberry me?” Dave asked. “Did our ship just raspberry me?”
“She did. I think Haley has your number. I'd quit while you're ahead. Ish.”
“Oh God, you named her that? I already have a Space Odyssey nightmare once a week. Do I really have to go catatonic for you to be satisfied?”



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