The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One by Evan Currie Read Free Book Online Page A

heads.
    “We’re still using the fourth-generation interface and optics,” Bermont replied.
    “All right, then the differences aren’t too hard to explain. Unlike the fourth-gen systems, the fifth-gen optics are processed by the onboard computer so that you get a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view at all times.”
    “Our suits do that,” Greene objected.
    “I mean at
all
times, Sergeant.” Jackson smiled. “The operator can view the entire three-hundred-and-sixty-degree image at once instead of having the computer assign priorities to targets that are out of your immediate view.”
    Greene shook his head. “That’s got to be a headache to control.”
    “It’s not so bad once you get used to it, Sergeant.” Jackson shrugged. “The forward ninety degrees is shown in real time slash real view, while the rest of the circle is displayed in an increasingly compressed peripheral vision mode. It feels a little like looking down a tunnel at first, until you get used to the system.”
    “Great. Permanent tunnel vision,” Greene cracked with a wry smile. “And this is a good thing?”
    “It increases response time by 28 percent in our studies,” Crowley replied. “What I’m mainly worried about is how the sensors will handle nonhuman targets. They didn’t exactly spend a long time worrying about that particular possibility when they coded the targeting software.”
    Bermont shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that. But if you want to get a real good firsthand technical opinion of the Drasin, I’d talk to Savoy.”
    The other men nodded in agreement.
    “Savoy?”
    “Lieutenant Savoy. He and his geek squad handle a lot of our specialist missions,” Greene replied. “He’s the boy to talk to if you’ve got a question about those doggies and how they look on a computer screen.”
    Crowley nodded. “I’ll do that.”

    Weston was more than ready for the next step. Fueling had taken a couple of hours, since pumping the enormous reservoirs of the
Odyssey
full of liquid hydrogen was an incredibly long and involved process. It left the entire crew practicallyvibrating with anticipation, so he was thankful that the climb to the edge of the sun’s influence had taken only a few more hours after that, and they were soon within the transition range.
    “All systems report ready for transition, Captain.”
    “Very good, Helm. Are we aligned for the initial transition?” Eric asked as a matter of course.
    “Aye, sir,” Daniels responded with a curt nod. “The board is green.”
    The routine of it all felt so false, like window-dressing on something so much larger than he could comprehend. They were about to become the fastest-moving people in history, yet again, and somehow it had all been boiled down to a checklist. Weston almost felt like there was something…
sacrilegious
about that, but in the end, all he could think was that they were about to start out on something nobody else had ever done before.
    He slowly nodded and reached down to access the ship-wide.
    “All hands, this is the captain. We have reached our initial transition point and will be powering the tachyon generators momentarily. Please ensure that all preparations are complete for transit. That is all.” Weston knew he had a good crew, a fire-tested crew, but he wondered what they were thinking now, knowing they were going back out for real. How many of them felt the same surge of excitement he did?
    He closed the ship-wide and looked up. “Mr. Waters?”
    “Aye, sir?” the young man asked without looking back.
    “You may sound general quarter.”
    “Aye, sir. General quarters.” Waters nodded, signaling the alert.
    “Very well, Lieutenant,” Weston said, glancing back at Daniels, “you may engage when ready.”
    “Aye, Captain. Beginning transition sequence…now,” Daniels responded then, keying in a command.
    At first, there was nothing to indicate that anything had changed; then the humming whine of the