
Subj : New Beginnings(41)
To   : All
From : SkyHawk #1
Date : Sun Sep 03 1995 00:00:39 PST

                              New Beginnings(41)
                              By Daniel C. Harrison (Skyhawk)

     "You arrived."
     She woke with a start, her body shivering. She was still on the bridge,
and she thought she had heard a voice. She looked around. That had been a voice
from before...but where. She wracked her brain trying to come up with the
answer. Wondering what the time was, she got up and stretched. She took another
look at the destroyed command center then clambered down the ladder. What was
that she had heard? It was almost as if...a dream. She smiled inwardly. Sure,
that's what it was. A dream. "A dream  within a dream, isn't always what it
seems". She stopped dead. She had heard that before..or something like it. She
remembered being in a dark place and wanting out. Yet, it had been warm and
touching. She pushed the thought away and, opened the door to nthe colony area.
As she did, a young boy smiled. "Good morning, Captain."
     She smiled down at him. Several people stopped what they were doing and,
she saw William Sorenson talking with Kevin. She beckoned them and, they came
over. "Candar, good morning." Sorenson grinned. "I should say, good morning
Governor."
     "Not ready for that yet." She looked around. "Is breakfast over?"
     "Just finishing up." Kevin handed hjer some coffee. "Where did you sleep
last night, I was looking for you?"
     "ON the bridge. Didn't mean to. I just went up there and exhaustion
must've caught up with me. I need a shower too first chance I get. Is everyone
getting ready in their respective groups?"
     "I've got the ground party ready..six of us." William  indicated the men
at the far corner. "We'll take the Tracker. There is a small air shuttle but,
nobody here can fly it. Henry was supposed to do that but, he's dead."
     Candar nodded. "Okay, fine. Kev, your gonna look after things and make
sure the base camp gets set up. You can work with the few planetary engineers
we have left. I'm going to fly that shuttle."
     "Candar, your the Governor." Kevin grinned. "You shouldn't be going off on
search missions, we need you here to lead us."
     She glared at him. "Don't give me that bullshit. I am apparently the only
pilot here that can do the job. Jerry is in no shape to fly at present. I'll
take off in 45 minutes. Have your ground team take off to the east, Will. I'll
take west and gradually start a search pattern. We are looking for a place
where we can establish a small town..it will have to be close enough to a river
but not so close, if it floods we'll be wiped out. We also need to be near
enough food sources. Fruit trees and the like. Don't eat anything until it's
tested. Dr. Grayson will be back here setting up the temporary hospital. Above
all, we need safety. Is there anyone who has communications background?"
     "Kerry Lions was a radio operator with United Terra before she made this
trip." William answered. "She had hoped to settle down and start new. Guess we
all did."
     "WE will, don't worry." Candar looked at Kerry who was busy packing some
things. "Have her monitor a base station and rotate with two others. We will
need to have regular contact at all times. Kevin, you are in charge. Don't take
any guff off Carnigan or anyone else."
     "Will do." He laughed. "I still think the Governor should stay put
though."
     "Noted. Now, I'm going to eat before I take off. If you all have, get your
vehicle ready. See you later." She moved past them to the central area. Picking
up a plate, she had her first hot meal in a long while. Kerry smiled at her and
came over. 
     "Hey, boss lady. How you feeling?"
     "Tired. I need more rest. Why didn't you tell me you'd worked for United
Terra in communications?"
     Kerry shrugged and laughed. "The subject never came up, Governor. But if I
can help, I will."
     "Kerry, I need all the help I can get. I'm going to fly the shuttle for
the air surveilance. I need good communication. I want you to set up a base
station real quick...use the ship's communications equipment, or did you guys
bring a transmitter with you?"
     "We have our own. Candar, don't worry, things will be fine." She looked
down. "I'm still upset over losing Scott. But, I've resigned myself I have to
make this work. We have nowhere else to go. As you said, we can all grieve
later on. There's too much to do right now."
     "True." Candar downed her coffee and finished the eggs she had. "This
tastes like it's been in storage for years."
     "Prefab food. I hate it." Kerry sighed. "Anyway, is that ship able to
fly?"
     "I'll preflight it before I do." Candar got up. "I'm sure it is, it's just
a little thing. Henry was supposed to of been the one to fly it." She looked
down.
     "You feel that his death is your fault?" Kerry's voice sounded
sympathetic.
     "No, not that. I just wish I had been given the time to know the kid
better. Years ago, he was on a ship I had and, I booted him off the bridge. It
was quite a shock to find him here. I had to deal with a lot of feelings that I
hadn't before because of him. It's not fair that he died."
     "Nothing about this trip was fair. WE should sue Universal Star."
     Candar looked up at the man who had said those words. It was Carnigan. He
sat down next to her. "In time, a ship from earth will reach here. At that
point, I plan to return. I'll hire the best lawyer I can and, I'll sue the
bastards for every dime I can get. I'll own the damn company that did this to
us!"
    Candar looked at him. "Carnigan, just shut up. I am tired of hearing it
from you. Assuming anyone from earth ever finds us again, fine you do that. We
need to be concerned with the here and now. I've got a mission to fly..goodbye
