Fiddler's Green

A Worlds Apart Short Story

The Pathfinder Ships were built by the worlds of Republic and Sapphire to seek out the former colonies of the Galactic Commonwealth. The Commonwealth had collapsed five thousand years previously, leaving each of some ten thousand colonies to fend for itself, and evolve as an independent world. The third Pathfinder ship was named Pegasus, for the constellation/sector in which Republic and Sapphire resided. The complete voyages of Pegasus may be found at www.fool-cola.com/Worlds_Apart.html

This story takes place almost two years into the journey of the Pegasus, about halfway between Bodicéa and Winter.

We weren’t even sure Fiddler’s Green existed. The files recovered from Testament made one oblique, ambiguous reference to a liner visiting there three hundred years before the collapse, and gave the system coordinates as 4668 Sagitta. The projections gave only a 20-24% probability of finding a colony there, but it was a relatively short deviation off our course from Templar to Independence, which would otherwise have been a long transit. After finding no colony at the system identified for Templar, I think Commander Keeler simply did not want to remain in hyperspace for such a long stretch.

The commander made the decision after we had entered hyperspace, which did not please Lieutenant Navigator Change at all. "Do you have any idea what’s involved," she asked him in a tone of voice that made me think of severe weather alerts back on the home world. "Exiting hyperspace is difficult, and not completely safe under any circumstances. Then, we’ll have to determine our own position and charter a completely new course for the new destination." I thought she was going to slap him. She’s temperamental, and having a boyfriend hasn’t helped that.

"We are on a mission of discovery... and exploration," he responded, calmly, with a tap of his walking stick against the side of her chair. "Take us out of hyperspace and plot a course to ... ?"

"4668 Sagitta," said Lieutenant David Alkema. Alkema is one of the youngest crewmen on our ship. The command doesn’t know exactly how young, and I haven’t made any effort to let him know. Alkema’s a nice enough guy, I guess, but I suspect that every time the commander sits down his nose hurts.

"4668 Sagitta. We have to see what’s there. We owe to the memory of the Commonwealth. Besides, the name. Fiddler’s Green. Doesn’t that sound ... " he sucked in a deep breath as though taking in warm scented country air. "Ah, pastoral, bucolic, relaxing. Fiddler’s Green. Isn’t that a great name for a colony."

"Sure is," said Alkema. Maybe he didn’t actually say it, but I am sure he was thinking it.

Executive Commander Lear concurred with the decision. "I think a short mission to this world would be valuable as a training exercise even if there is no colony. We’ll plan for a minimal mission, with a longer mission on stand-by in the event we do find a colony." Lear is elegant, sophisticated, meticulous, a product of the proud Republic Space Command Bureaucracy, you one can’t help but suspect that underneath that crisp blond coif, behind those pale gray eyes lies a devious side. Whenever she smiles, you can’t help thinking that she’s imagining you lying on the floor at her feet with a knife in your back. Yet, for some reason, I still don’t like her very much, and not just because of her "No cats on the bridge" philosophy.

"Let’s do it," Lt. Cmdr. Miller said. No one had asked him, but the lieutenant commander regards not being asked for his opinion as a mere technicality. Him, I like.

Change didn’t say anything, but just turned to her NavStation and began plotting for a transition out of hyperspace. "It will take Twenty-Seven hours to slow to transition speed."

"Go to," said Commander Keeler, settling into his command chair. So, basically, all three of the ship’s command officers agreed that diverting to Fiddler’s Green was a good idea; and the working crew thought it was a bad idea. That alone should have told them this mission was a disaster in the making, but no one asked me.