Cold Call - [Sibby-verse 1]

3

The comm ends. I'm shocked beyond words and belief, just stunned. I exit the comm-boards completely for the surroundings to rejoin me and it's still only me, Raven, the merchies on the bridge. I'm sitting here in this chair dumbstruck when it occurs to me that Raven is in my face, staring at me, frowning. Of course, his keen observation skills noticed me otherwise occupied.

My conversation with GoSo being on my Eye went unheard by everyone else on the bridge and that 10D encryption kept it from being intercepted by the ship itself. Too, while I was on deeplink in private and secure mode, the projected holos only partially blur your face.

               "What's wrong?" he demands.
               "Noth'." I say unconvincingly, my thoughts ablaze and I clam up. He stares harder at me.
               "What you hear?" he asks, softer this time.

I stutter, stammer, stutter some more to see Raven's eyes narrow in suspicion that he's correct to suspect. I notice the techs are gone and relax a bit. I don't know what to say, what not to say, how to say it and am sputtering outta control here when I need to keep it together while inhaling and exhaling and thinking about what I need to do and how to do it. The comm-board chirps. Its Eds.

               Don't let 'em see you sweat, son

               "Jay! You on boards?" Eds voice speaks out.
                Of course, I'm on boards but I say out loud instead, "Yessir." As Raven folds his arms, still directly eyeballing me as Lito's back on bridge and curiously watch Raven watch me.
               "Cast to ship, Lito should be back shortly." Eds directs and I immediately open all-ship so everyone aboard can hear whatever Eds got to say. "Listen up ev'one. We just got orders from Command to turn and burn and head home for a meet and greet with Command. We're gonna have our cargo friends disembark and board the Blinded Nova instead and we'll get underway in two real-hours, shorter the better. Out." And Eds signs off the comm.
               "What's going on?" Lito asks.
               "Not sure. Jay?" Raven says. "Out with it before bridge crew gets back up here!" he demands.

I frown and stare at them. I am their commanding officer after all.

               "Comp, close bridge." Lito directs. The computer promptly closes the doors.

Raven and Lito both stand in front of me with their arms folded, elbows touching each other with their eyebrows raised.

               "Jay...you don't spook easily so c'mon with it. What's burnin'? Lito asks, concerned.
               "You're the worst liar ever so don't bother." Raven quips.
               "Ok..." I exhale, get out of my chair, and face these guys I've known and worked with for years, even longer than Eds. "All right. I saw an unsecure comm addressed to Eds from Colonel Farley that said these ops we're on don't have auth' and for Eds to play game or else. On top of that, GoSo called me and said we're all getting cold-called home to get iced out in the dark behind New Gaia, that the Revolution is on,"
               "What!" they exclaim together, shocked.
               "There's more – Units Eight and Nine are firmed KIA, with Units Seven and Ten MIA. He said Six and Five just got hit. Us and One are the only Units intact. He also said that Three and Four are running EarthSolwards for safety with new Eye sigs." I continue.
               "Oh...my..."
               "And we just got turn and burn orders for a meet and greet..."
               "Exactly." I say. They look as dumbfounded as I feel.
               "Whadda'ya gonna do Jay?" Raven asks.
               "Don't know yet but somehow I gotta convince Eds not to answer this cold call, our lives at stake here."

Raven, in his natural skin, with a deep brown-black complexion and a no-nonsense attitude and prone to quips, always in a tank top because he's proud of his huge biceps – I can always count on him to provide focus with his observation skills. For once, he's speechless without any quips to add.