Halo_ Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe - Eric Nylund [173]
A moment later the order came through the bridge intercom to transition to slipspace.
The bridge officers remained busy for the five hours until the shift change, and it was only then that Lieutenant Commander Nevel noticed Crewman Apprentice Cole still working at an auxiliary workstation.
“Crewman, what precisely are you doing?”
Cole looked up; his eyes were ringed with fatigue. When he saw Nevel he immediately stood at attention. “Sir, finishing the slipstream space calculations Ensign Seinmann ordered me to double-check.”
The lieutenant commander’s face contorted with anger, disgust, and finally a hint of amusement. “Very good”—his gaze fell onto the name tag of Cole’s jumpsuit—“Crewman Cole. I’ll take it from here. Dismissed.”
“Yes, sir.” Cole gathered his tools and left the bridge.
Nevel chuckled and retrieved Cole’s data pad—then halted, gazing intently at its contents.
He moved to Lorelei’s station. “Did you help the crewman with this?”
The data pad flickered as Lorelei interfaced. “No.” The AI paused for a full half second. “How intriguing. It is indeed a Shaw-Fujikawa manifold calculation, but it uses a method I have never before encountered.”
“Is it correct?”
“Yes . . . even good . . . for a crude approximation. But highly impractical. It would take far too long for a human to implement such a method, and I have far superior algorithms at my disposal.”
Nevel looked again at Cole’s equations. “But let me get this straight—this crewman actually came up with a new way of calculating input parameters?”
“That is correct.”
Lieutenant Commander Nevel traced his fingers over the multidimensional, imaginary-space calculus on the data pad. “Hmm.” His face hardened. “Find Ensign Seinmann and have him report to the bridge. I need to remind him of the level of mathematical expertise we expect of our officers on the Plenty.”
Letter from Crewman Apprentice Preston Cole to his brother,
Michael James Cole, October 16, 2489 (Military Calendar)
Mike,
So much is going on, I just have time for a quick note. They keep me twice as busy on the Season of Plenty as I was back home—even during calving season, and I’m trying to learn everything I can, all at once. This is exactly where I want to be. Where I was meant to be.
And some of the people that we take to the colonies! Most were rich back on Earth. Many have PhDs. But they’re risking everything to become blacksmiths and herd sheep and throw themselves out into the great unknown. It’s inspiring.
I want to get out there and be a part of this, too. You and Molly should join me one day. Dad would bust an artery if he heard me say that, so don’t tell him. Or would he be proud?
The only problem I’m having is with some of the crew—they aren’t as easy for me to figure as a math problem. I’m getting along, mostly. I just don’t understand some of the junior officers. I’m glad I don’t have to. That’s one of the advantages of being a crewman apprentice: we just do what we’re told.
More soon, P.J.
{Excerpt} Bi-annual Personnel Review of CMA Season
of Plenty / November 27, 2489 (Military Calendar)
Junior Officer Summation (continued)
Ensign Handford, W. (UNSC Service Number: 00786-31761-OM)
Average performance
Ensign Indara, A. (UNSC Service Number: 00801-46332-XT)
Above average performance
Requested management training (Series 7). Request granted.
Ensign Seinmann, O. (UNSC Service Number: 00806-95321-PG)
Above average performance
Promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade
Transferred to the CMA Laden.
Additional:
RE: Crewman Apprentice Cole, P. J. (UNSC Service
Number: 00814-13094-BQ)
Shows aptitude for history and mathematics. Suggested
by Lt. Commander Nevel and the ship’s AI, Lorelei,
that he would be a superior applicant for the Academy at
Mare Nubium (aka Luna Officer Candidate School).
One week temporary assignment to Luna, pending
entrance examination results.
ANALYSIS
* * *
It was the end of the Golden Age of human colonization. As of 2494 CE it was still a time of peace and prosperity, but Earth had begun to overreach