Stars in the Time of Dreaming

Stars in the Time of Dreaming
Product information
Type Short story
Author Ilsa J. Bick
Pages 18
Publication information
Publisher BattleCorps
First published 6 February 2007
Content
Era Civil War era
Timeline 15 July 3062—14 March 3068
Series Case White (series)
Preceded by The Breaking of Chemical Bonds
Followed by Backroads at Night

Stars in the Time of Dreaming is a short story by Ilsa J. Bick that was published online on BattleCorps on 6 February 2007 as the third installment in the Case White series. It was later also published in print in the fourth BattleCorps anthology, Fire for Effect, in 2013.

Teaser text

Dr. Claude Gaines, Clara's friend and former commanding officer in ComStar, had invited her to remain with him on New Earth for a month, to catch up on old times. Her husband Jack went ahead with their daughter back to Tasmania, on Earth—not knowing that war was coming to Terra...

Plot summary

Although she is an inactive Com Guard reserve and currently pregnant, Clara took up service as a doctor aboard the Vision of Truth under Dr. Gaynes to travel to Terra, thus participating in Case White. On 13 March 3068 she comes to in sickbay to she ship's blaring siren after being thrown into a bulkhead following a series of explosions and passing out. The ship is largely without power, and Dr. Gaynes was messily killed by a closing emergency door. Clara screams at the sight of his mutilated body, which attracts the attention of another surviving crewman, "Mackie" McAndrews. However, they find that they have no way to leave the stricken ship as it falls toward Terra.

Falling stars have a special meaning for Clara and Jack, and she told him once that some tribes believe a child's spirit rides down to Terra on a shooting star. With Mackies help Clara gets a brief radio message to Jack, informing him of her fate—that she will be dead by the time he receives the message. Grief-stricken, Jack and their daughter Amy watch the falling stars of destroyed spacecraft rain down on Terra throughout the night.