by Jan Domagala
* * * * *
“Sir that freighter is giving chase again, doesn’t seem like we did much damage with that missile,” observed the Ops officer on the Bridge of the Valkyrie.
“I’m hoping the sight of us will discourage them from further action against the shuttle,” Jefferson replied confidently.
“They’re gaining on us again. What have they got in that thing?” Hall said as he steered the shuttle towards the Valkyrie.
Hawk had been watching closely since the freighter had come after them and was asking himself the very same question.
Through the battle com. via his NI Hawk contacted the Valkyrie. “You may have to discourage our hunters a little more forcefully Cap. They don’t seem to want to give up on us just yet.”
* * * * *
“Coming up on weapons range,” the pilot of the freighter said.
“Hold her steady on this line,” Rygar replied, as he aimed the pulse cannons waiting for the weapons lock tone.
* * * * *
“Christ, they’re acquiring weapons lock on us again,” Hall said as the sensors told him what was happening behind their shuttle.
“Valkyrie it’s time to discourage them further,” Hawk said through the battle com.
Jefferson turned to his weapons officer and said, “You heard the man, discourage them.”
The weapons officer fired another QX missile at the freighter, being careful to target the right vehicle so that the shuttle wouldn’t be hit by mistake. Once the missile left the forward missile tube it acquired the correct target, skirted around the shuttle in front of the freighter and headed straight for its intended target.
* * * * *
“Incoming!” shouted the pilot of the freighter as he saw the missile homing in on them and realised there was nowhere for them to go to evade it. Within a few seconds the missile impacted their craft just below the flight deck where the bridge was situated, exploding on contact in a fireball that lit up the darkening sky as the two fleeing craft exited the atmosphere of Canto.
* * * * *
“That should do it, sir,” the weapons officer on the Valkyrie said as they all watched the fireball engulf the freighter’s forward section. What they were unprepared for was seeing the freighter fly through the fireball unharmed, scorched a little but unharmed.
“Holy crap! What the hell have they got there, it’s more like a military gunship than a standard freighter,” Jefferson said in shock.
“Hit them again, but this time make it count,” he said.
“What did I tell you about them being more prepared for this op than us?” Hawk said to De Boer.
“They’re almost within range, if the Valkyrie doesn’t stop them soon we’ll be blown out of the sky,” Hall said as he attempted to get the last dregs of power out of the shuttle’s engines.
“They’re firing again,” De Boer said as he saw another missile leave the Valkyrie.
“Let’s hope they have better luck with that one then,” Hall said with trepidation.
They all watched the QX missile swerve around them and head straight for the freighter behind them once more. The missile struck the freighter almost directly over the same spot as the first missile strike and the ensuing explosion was almost double the intensity. A huge fireball engulfed the entire ship and the shockwave raced the Valkyrie through the atmosphere as the energy released was close to a full power blast.
The freighter was thrown off course by the blast and sent spinning off vector. The pilot lost control of the craft momentarily as it headed back down to the ground pulled by the gravity of Canto. Explosions broke out inside the bridge as a series of systems overloaded and they had to wait for the backup systems to come online to regain full control.
Hall saw the outcome of the blast and used the time wisely, getting to the Valkyrie before the pilot regained control of the craft chasing them.
As Hall took the shuttle into the docking bay in the belly of the Valkyrie Hawk said, “Take us to hyperspace now.” Jefferson, still leaning forward in his command chair, gave the command to jump. Only when they entered hyperspace did he sit back and start to relax.
* * * * *
Rygar pulled himself back to an upright position as the pilot regained control of the freighter and looked through the forward view port just as the Valkyrie made the jump to hyperspace.
Getting to his feet, the reality of what had happened washed over him. They had failed. He had failed and he had the unenviable job of relaying that little detail to Wilde. Knowing what Wilde’s reaction would be sent a chill through his blood and for the first time in ages he knew real fear.
* * * * *
“We did it,” Hall said, the relief evident in his voice.
“But at what cost!” said De Boer and he looked at Hawk with recrimination in his intense eyes.
Hawk returned the glare with a steady gaze of his own. Straightening to his full height he squared up to the Colonel, “Go on say it.”
“We lost good men down there, all because you wouldn’t divulge relevant data about the op,” De Boer said angrily, standing almost nose-to-nose with the operative.
“That’s total bullshit and you know it. You know how these things go, it’s a need to know basis and you just weren’t in the loop. No one at HQ was aware of just how this would go down. We didn’t expect any action and certainly not of the intensity they brought along, so no one could have foreseen the losses. I’m sorry we lost those guys and you have my word that their deaths won’t go unpunished,” Hawk said with equal anger. He was angry at not getting it right, at not having the foresight to predict what would happen and so avoid the loss of life, but at least now he had a better understanding of how OMEGA worked. Not much of one, but an idea anyway.
“The next time you go after them, whoever you take, make sure you’re better prepared because those guys play for keeps,” De Boer said calming down slightly.
“You can count on that,” replied Hawk.
“What’s your next move then?” asked the Colonel.
“Report back to HQ and inform them of my findings, and then start to look for the real objective behind this mystery group. If it’s any consolation I’ll try and get you included in anything else we do so that your involvement today will mean something. It seems a pity to waste your abilities and your knowledge of what’s gone on so far, why waste time bringing another team up to speed?”
“I don’t know if I should thank you or not, considering how this little jaunt turned out,” De Boer said, then smiled as he relaxed a little, the adrenalin easing out of his system as the danger had passed. He liked this man, he had integrity and wasn’t afraid of standing up to a superior officer if he thought he was in the right. “When you go after them again you had better include me, I have a serious score to settle with whoever’s behind all this,” he added.
“I will Colonel, don’t worry on that score,” Hawk said, adding, “I’d better go to my quarters and start preparing my report,” and he left the shuttle.
The Colonel and Lieutenant Hall disembarked from the shuttle too after securing it and went to the recreation area to relax before the short flight home. They reflected on what they had been through and the friends they had lost. Preparing for the debrief when they arrived back could wait till later. Col Sec HQ would handle the details of the burial ceremony; even without the bodies the ceremonies would proceed.
Hawk went to his quarters to ponder what had happened, what the consequences were and what action should be taken next. All he could do at this juncture was submit his report, tender his suggestions for future action and see what decision was made.
What were OMEGA’s real intentions? What did they intend to do and why had they started now when, according to the captured clone, they had been around for ages, unseen and unknown? What was significant about them wanting to be known now and what would they gain from this action? There must be something hugely significant about the time frame for them to take overt action now after
working behind the scenes for so long. Whatever it was, Hawk swore a silent oath that he would learn all he could before stamping on the neck of this beast, choking out its very life.
9
Tanya Wilde and Gavin Taylor, the security guard, were having lunch at The Peaches, a Chinese restaurant that was famous for its authentic meals.
They were seated at a table near the window overlooking the bay of New San Francisco on Cordoba, a planet in the Praxima system forty-three lights years from Earth.
Cordoba was the HQ of the Eisenhower Mega Corp. and it was home to Tanya Wilde. Their meal was over and they were drinking coffee.
“I should be getting back soon, Miss,” Taylor said as he placed his cup back in the saucer in front of him. He was in his late twenties, six feet one tall with a good physique maintained by a daily ritual of hard exercise. His black hair was cut short as part of his job requirement to appear neat and tidy at all times, and he was clean-shaven. His deep brown eyes had never wavered from his lunch companion the whole time they had been together and although he was considered good looking he was certain Tanya Wilde didn’t know he existed.
“Excuse me?” Tanya said, lost in her own thoughts and unaware of what her lunch companion had said. “Are you okay Miss, you seemed distracted throughout the entire lunch,” Taylor elaborated.
“I’m sorry I’ve not been much company today. You must think I’m awful,” she said.
“Not at all, Miss, I could never think that,” Taylor said, then immediately regretted it. He began to feel uncomfortable as the hot flush flooded his cheeks. She glanced up from her coffee cup and saw his expression and the colour in his cheeks and couldn’t help but smile, just a little, to herself.
“I do apologise, I’ve been thinking about something and it’s made me neglect my charming companion. I will make it up to you I promise,” she said, her voice low, soft and full of promise. She was teasing him, something she liked to do and she smiled as she saw Taylor’s colour deepen.
“It’s okay, Miss, there’s no need for you to do that,” Taylor replied.
“Just give me one moment and I’ll be with you and we can leave,” she said rising from her seat. Taylor stumbled to his feet, forever the gentleman, as she walked away from the table. He put a finger down the collar of his shirt to let some of the steam out. He blew out his cheeks in relief, as he was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable with her flirting. She was the boss’s daughter and as much as he would love to get to know her better he knew that it was out of the question. Jonas Wilde would send him to the most remote location he could possibly think of if he even suspected anything had happened between Taylor and his daughter.
He couldn’t help but like her though, more than like in fact, he had had a crush on her since the very first time he’d seen her walk into the building.
The tingle in his NI told Taylor that a call was coming in.
“I hope you have my daughter with you Taylor,” said Jonas Wilde.
“She’s not been out of my sight the whole time, sir,” Taylor lied.
“She’s there with you now then I presume.”
Taylor hesitated before answering, “Erm… she’s just gone to the powder room, sir. I couldn’t possibly go in there with her, sir,” he stammered.
“What part of ‘don’t let her out of your sight for even a second’ are you having trouble with?” Wilde said, the rebuke evident in his voice.
“I’ll go find her straight away, sir,” Taylor said getting to his feet immediately, hoping to reduce the level of punishment he knew was coming his way as soon as they got back to the office.
He was halfway to the powder room when he met Tanya on her way back to the table.
“Miss me that much ’eh?” she said with a smile, yet she half expected that she knew the real reason, which was confirmed with Taylor’s next words.
“Your father said not to let you out of my sight, Miss.”
“Not even to go to the bathroom?” she said, already suspecting the answer.
“You know your father better than most, Miss, if he says not for a second it includes going to the bathroom,” Taylor replied a little sheepishly.
“Yes, you’d think so wouldn’t you,” Tanya said thoughtfully.
“Excuse me Miss?”
“You’d think I’d know my father, though I’m not so sure.”
“You’ve lost me, shall we return to the table?” Taylor said, a little confused. Then, as he glanced around at the rest of the restaurant’s diners and realising they were garnering some attention, urged her to sit down. His boss and her father would not relish any unwanted publicity, for if the media got even one hint of a sniff of anything they considered newsworthy then they would be all over them like a school of piranhas over a fresh carcass.
Once they were seated he picked up on what she had said, “Why are you unsure about your father, Miss?” he asked. He immediately regretted it, not wanting to pry into personal affairs.
Never expecting a reply other than a rebuke he was surprised when she said, “I overheard something that I’d never thought possible from my father just before we came here.”
“What did you hear?” he asked, wanting to help her. He was drawn to her; she had turned out to be someone he had not expected, warm, charming and friendly, not at all like the spoiled brat he had been warned about by some of the other security men.
She looked at him appraising the man before her. Could she take him into her confidence? Possibly not, after all he worked for her father, it was he who signed his pay cheques so his affiliations would be clear. But what if she had got it wrong and there was some plausible reason, some excuse for those words she’d heard, perhaps this man could explain, he might even know the truth. As sad as it was to admit, she realised she did not know her father as well as she would like and perhaps this man did know him better than her and therefore would know if her suspicions were well founded or if she had simply misheard the conversation. Taking all that into consideration she decided to take a chance and confide in him.
“I overheard my father issue orders for someone’s death,” she said. There it was, she’d said it, no taking it back now.
Taylor didn’t know what to say, he suddenly realised that he was in a position that could get him in some serious trouble. He sat back in his chair and looked down at his plate while considering his next words very carefully.
“You think I’m kidding or I misheard don’t you?” Tanya said when she saw his hesitation.
“Did you?” Taylor asked carefully.
“No, I didn’t. I wish I had but I know what I heard and I’m not prone to telling lies to get what I want either, before you even go there, besides what would I get out of this? What could I possibly gain from an accusation like this?” she replied calmly.
“The attention of a father who possibly gives his daughter everything she wants other than what she really needs, his attention,” he suggested.
“Oh thank you! So now I’m a spoiled brat who, just to get her father’s attention, accuses him of plotting the deaths of some people. I’m so glad you have such a high opinion of me,” Tanya replied and got to her feet. “You’d better take me home then,” she added.
“You’ve got it wrong, I just meant that some people could think that,” Taylor said, gesturing to her to sit back down.
“What do you think then?” she asked putting him on the spot to find out where he stood on her statement. She wanted to know whether he would back her up and help her get to the bottom of it or just take her father’s side without question.
“Okay, let’s look at this logically,” he said as she sat back down. “Who was your father talking to and who was he talking about? Is there any possibility that you misheard any of it?” he added.
“I only heard his half of the conversation but he talked about people being inside a chamber, about someone checking that whoever was trapped inside the chamber was dead, and that he was to make sure they were dead and not to re
turn until he had proof they were dead. That to me was pretty conclusive, how’s it sound to you?” she replied with more than a trace of sarcasm.
Taylor felt his blood run cold. What was he supposed to do with this? Who would believe this story if they could find anyone to listen? If this was true and she had heard correctly, then if they even tried to take this any further their lives could be forfeit. If her father were responsible for ordering the deaths of those people, who’s to say that he would stop there. If Taylor got in Wilde’s way then surely he wouldn’t think twice about dealing with one security guard in the same way. Who could he call anyway, who would listen?
“Oh shit,” Taylor said, not knowing what else to say.
“Is that it? Is that all you’re gonna say?” asked Tanya getting a little uncomfortable. She started to think she had made the wrong decision in telling him.
“What would you want me to do, without proof there’s not a soul on this planet who would believe your story,” he said finally once his thought processes began to return to normal after the shock of hearing her story.
“Proof, you want proof?” she said as an idea formed in her head.
“What you gonna do?” Taylor asked as he saw the look of determination in her eyes.
“I’ve always been able to hack into my father’s files so if I can do that now and find anything pertaining to this chamber he mentioned, would that help convince you?” she asked.
“You can do that from here?” Taylor asked. He knew all personnel in the Mega Corp. were fitted with better than average NIs but to be able to access a computer from this distance required the equivalent of a military grade one. He knew that the Corp. had many contracts with the military and were suppliers to Col Sec and the Alliance, but as far as he knew the top quality tec. was saved for the military.
There were safeguards in place that prohibited manufacturers supplying the military grade tec. to civilian corporations, institutes or persons. This was to prevent criminal organisations or terrorists becoming a real threat to the military. If Tanya could access her father’s file from their present location, it meant that she had a military grade NI and that Wilde had total disregard for the law, which also gave credence to Tanya’s story.
