Osullivan stared grimly at the digital time display as the seconds and hundreds turned over rapidly. His fingers rattled an agitated tattoo on his hand rest.
`Sound a yellow alert. Ship’s crew to locate Mr Lyon.
This ship is to be searched stem to stern. Alert Captain Quacho.
Doplas, I want to speak to Captain Prtglm.’ `It hasn’t been available, sir,’ Doplas said in a semiapologetic tone.
`It’ll be available to me, Doplas!’ Osullivan’s icy tone made Doplas’ fingers skip over the touch-plates.
`Prtglm is not available for speech,’ the `Dini com officer said.
`PRTGLM IS NOT AVAILABLE,’ it repeated in its own language to be sure the information was understood.
`We search for Rojer y,) Doplas said.
`RJR LN REPORT IMMEDIATELY TO THIS SHIP, Osullivan added to be sure the `Dini officer also understood.
This time the `Dini officer shook its upper body and then directed its poll eye fully at the screen. `NO HUMAN ON THE KTTS.’ The screen went blank.
`What’s all this about young Lyon disappearing?’ demanded Captain Quacho, his image illuminating the main screen. `We’ve supplies to come in and I’ve two crew needing to go back on the carrier. I’ve been waiting for Rojer’s signal to bring them over.
`A full ship search is under way, Quacho. I understand Lyon’s disappearance no better than you do. And he’s not on the `Dini ship!’ Osullivan grimaced and he rubbed his jaw. If the boy had gone to the `Dini ship, why hadn’t he come back aboard the Genessee?
`Sir?’ An excited voice immediately captured his attention. `Sir, one of the escape pods is gone.’ `Which?’ Osullivan snapped the query out in such a hard voice that even Doplas recoiled.
`One oh eight, starboard, sir. And the controls were altered to make it appear to be still in place.’ No-one on the bridge needed to remark that the one-oh-eight pod was the one assigned to Rojer Lyon.
`Has there been any activity towards the planet?’ Osullivan demanded. When he received a negative reply, `Or towards that damned empty hull?’ `No, sir. And I’m scanning for a recent ion trail.’ `The boy wouldn’t have had to use the escape pod engine, Metrios,’ Osullivan said, puzzled, angry and half-despairing. He had grown quite fond of young Lyon. The boy had conducted himself extremely well and been as helpful as he could, way beyond the scope of his original assignment.
`Something happened while he was on board the KTTS,’ Metrios said in a quiet, intense tone of voice.
`His `Dinis went with him?’ Osullivan knew that they had but he grasped at that one possibility of finding out what happened.
`Yes, sir, Ensign Menburia now reports that they slipped on board the probe before Prtglm or Lyon did.’ `They often went with him,’ Anis said softly.
Osullivan waved his hand to cut off discussion. The boy had used an escape pod after a trip to the KTTS in Prtglm’s company. The `Dini was determined to return home in honour. Suddenly, Osullivan jumped to a conclusion he did not like, not any aspect of it and not for any reason.
`Let us hope he can reach his family safely.’ Everyone on the bridge turned to stare at their captain and then began to exchange shocked glances. Metrios propped his head in his hands and stared down at the lights running their normal patterns on his board. Just then, they gave him little consolation.
Captain Osullivan, this is Jeff Raven. why is my grandson not in touch with us?
captain Osullivan had been expecting some form of contact from the FT&T Prime ever since the time for the usual daily call had passed, and still more seconds ticked by.
`Earth Prime, he is no longer on board the Genessee.
We had hopes that he has made his way back to you, or his home world.’ Osullivan spoke aloud so that the bridge crew would understand that he was communicating with the Prime.
Surely you realize, Captain, that Rojer is not able to make such a long-distance `portation without assistance. what has happened to my grandson?
`We do not know, sir, and we are extremely worried.’ The captain then detailed the known sequence of events leading up to the discovery of the missing escape pod.