"You're the engineer," Andrea said. "Is there another way to the bridge in seven minutes or is our captain going down with the ship?"
"The pinhole."
"Explain."
"I'll tell you on the way."
As they raced for the deck below bridge level Daryl told her that the bridge was stuck on top of a starship like a pin in a cork board. There was a Jefferies tube on the deck below for additional access to stabilizers and circuitry but it was hardly ever used.
"I've never seen or heard of a third Jefferies to the bridge," Andrea said.
"Because there's no access from the bridge, only from below."
"Then how do we break through?"
"What's in the middle of the bridge?" Daryl asked.
"The captain's chair. It's under that?" Andrea sounded amused. "Captain is rated on weapons, communications, helm and navigation but engineering isn't his strong area. I suppose that's why he didn't know about it."
"Wouldn't matter anyway. You can only get in from below. I need a magbolter." Daryl opened a panel and took out a tool. He reached up to open another panel and pulled down a ladder. Twenty feet above him was a circle ringed with eight huge bolts. Daryl started climbing.
"I'll prep an escape pod." Andrea ran to a portal in the next corridor.
Daryl used the magbolter to remove the magnetic bolts then heaved against the base. His shoulders and arms were stronger than average but the base barely moved. The chair was heavy but without bolts Daryl figured he should be able to rock it enough to topple it. Unless … "Fuck's sake," he muttered. "Is he sitting down? Shouldn't he be pacing or something?"
He hammered on the base with the magbolter and yelled, "Move your ass, Captain, if you want to get rescued."
On the bridge Captain Grimes had just jettisoned the ship's log. He was aware that his navigator had sent two subspace messages, probably to family and friends. He was trying to think of something comforting to say in their final minutes when his chair moved slightly. He assumed it was a vibration throughout the ship due to proximity of the black hole until he heard a muffled shout.
Ensign Rhee turned, his face shocked but hopeful. "That's Daryl. Petty Officer Dixon, I mean."
They grabbed the back of the chair and pulled it forward until it fell over and there was Daryl looking up at them. Or rather at Ensign Rhee, Grimes thought.
"After you, Mr. Rhee," Grimes said, smiling with relief.
"You first, sir."
"I will be the last man off my bridge," Grimes said forcefully.
Daryl broke in. "Glenn, this will go faster if you recall how I went down that ladder in engineering. Hook your feet, knees and palms around the outside and let yourself drop. I'll catch you." Daryl fell from sight.
Glenn followed. Daryl's arms caught him under the elbows and lifted him aside. Grimes was an old hand at descending ladders and he was with them a second later.
"We've got 40 seconds to get away or we'll be sucked in," Andrea said. They sprinted for the pod portal.
The small booster needed to initiate propulsion in a life pod would be barely adequate to escape the gravity of the black hole. They felt a tug as it ignited and burned, hesitation for an endless moment, then the pod broke free and they entered warp space.
The optics array in the pod was nothing fancy but it was sufficient to watch the Parallax spiraling away. One second she was there and the next instant she was devoured by dark matter.
Grimes and Glenn were at helm and navigation with Andrea and Daryl in seats at the rear. Maximum velocity for an escape pod was warp 1 and comm was limited. Disruption from the black hole would prevent communication for awhile so Grimes asked Glenn and Andrea to trade places so he could be briefed by his senior officer on what had occurred since they lost contact.
Glenn sat down silently.
"What's wrong?" Daryl asked. "You're alive and likely to stay that way barring colossal bad luck, which I don't rule out considering what we've been through."
Glenn tried to smile and failed. "I'm alive because you saved me. Thank you, Daryl."
"You're welcome. Why aren't you happier about it?"
"I made the biggest mistake of my life leaving you. I knew it right away."
"Before or after Jimmy and Randall?" Daryl couldn't resist the jab.
Glenn flushed. "After. They're the reason I knew it was a mistake. I didn't even realize I was trying to forget you. Didn't work anyway. I'm so sorry."
"I should have said something instead of taking us for granted. You're not a Vulcan with the mind melding."
Before they could continue Grimes opened a channel. "This is Captain Grimes of Parallax escape pod 26. Is anyone out there?"
Response was immediate. "Lt. Commander Douglas of pod 83. I've got a couple of people here who are mighty glad to hear your voice."
"Rick, are you really safe?" Lori Grimes' voice broke.
"I am. How are you and Carl?"
"We're okay, Dad."
"All right then. You take care of your mother and I'll see you soon."
"It'll be about 12 hours," Douglas said. "I've been in contact with Enterprise. They're coming to meet us. We'll all be quarantined for awhile. Just a precaution but they can't take chances."
"Understood. We can use some downtime. How many of us are there?"
"Thirty in nine pods including two pods from the bridge." Douglas paused for a moment. A 10 percent survival rate was pitiful but knowing what they'd endured it almost felt like victory. "Is there anyone with you?"
"I should have said right away. Lt. Commander Harrison, Ensign Rhee and Petty Officer Dixon."
"Daryl, you made it!" Merle's voice came through. "I was gettin' worried about you, boy. You weren't in any of the other pods we heard from."
"We got an unexpected passenger," Douglas said. "The prisoner Merle Bisbee transported aboard. We've since learned that Mr. Dixon is his brother."
"Well, a man has to look out for his family," Grimes said.
"Bisbee didn't escape completely unscathed. A walker grabbed him tight seconds before transport. He couldn't risk a scratch by jerking away and he couldn't let it transport with him so he cut off his hand."
"Merle, are you all right?" Daryl shouted.
"Laser knife sealed as I cut so I didn't lose much blood. Coulda turned out a lot worse." Merle sounded resigned to his self-amputation.
"Enterprise just bounced a subspace message to me for Dixon," Douglas said. "Want me to patch it through?"
Grimes raised his eyebrows. "Aye, Mr. Douglas. And then I'll be checking in with the other pods."
The captain gave Daryl an earpiece for privacy. Daryl didn't understand what was going on until the message came through from Ensign Rhee. Beside him, Glenn didn't look up.
"Daryl, I'm recording this from the bridge. Captain Grimes and I are the only ones left alive and we're cut off. Communications, escape, everything. My final action as navigator was to plot the course to Inkspot. The Parallax will be destroyed but also the virus. And the Captain and me. I hope you made it off the ship. I hope this reaches you. I hope you forgive me.
I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I left you. Those are big regrets for a short life. Please don't think I'm saying this because I'll be dead soon. I've wanted to tell you for days. I thought I had time to find a way to explain that would make you give me a second chance. I belong to you, Daryl. I wish I'd known sooner so we could have belonged to each other. I love you. Goodbye."
"Is this why you look miserable?" Daryl asked. "Because you knew I'd get the message and you don't mean it now that you're not dead after all?"
"No! Of course I mean it. I'm just ashamed that I have to face you."
"Sounds like you're giving up promiscuity but I hope that doesn't mean you're turning celibate." There was a teasing note in Daryl's voice that made Glenn finally look him in the eye.
"How about monogamy?" Glenn asked.
"Is that a proposal? Because monogamy and belonging to each other sounds like a proposal."
Glenn started to smile. "I'll take whatever you give if you'll forgive me."
"Not much to forgive. I love you. I slept around when I was your age. Better to get it over with before a union instead of during."
"You really want a union with me?"
Daryl looked at Glenn for a long moment before calling out, "Captain, can you still validate a domestic union?"