"Jayne, get strapped in. BB, give me gunnery controls," he said, taking the chair next to Darnell.
He blinked as the floor of the vessel disappeared and in its place was the familiar door gun he'd utilized so often in ‘Nam. He reached for the stock and felt feedback in his hands. It wasn't exactly the same as holding the real thing, but the virtual image was enough to convince his brain and bring back a rush of memories.
"I assume you prefer a familiar analog," Beverly said, sitting side-saddle on the breech of the weapon, wearing tight-fitting fatigues with a white aviator’s scarf around her neck. "Did I get it right?"
AJ chuckled despite the situation. "I feel like you're mixing metaphors."
The vessel lifted and spun suddenly. "Those hangar doors weren't closed when we got here," Darnell said.
AJ targeted the brackets holding the massive doors on the long metal track. A glowing red reticle appeared in his field of vision as he swung the turret around.
Anticipating his target, Beverly illuminated the brackets, drawing comic bubbles over them with the words Boom, Biff and Zowie.
"The doors will fall outward," she said.
He squeezed the trigger, a bit disappointed not to hear the roar of gunfire as steel discs tore through the seemingly inconsequential steel holding the door. "Let me guess, you've been watching old Batman shows."
"Hold on, folks," Darnell warned, pushing the ship forward as the doors sagged but held upright. AJ's eyes traced two new targets Beverly identified and he loosed a fresh volley of fire. He brought his arms up to cover his face as the belly of the Vred shuttle impacted the sagging doors. Even though AJ knew the ship's hull separated him from the impact, the transparent projection seemed all too real.
"You are in no danger, AJ," Beverly said, sprawling languidly on the gun barrel. She’d switched into a tight purple leather jumpsuit, complete with a mask over her eyes. “Yvonne Craig was sexy as hell as Batgirl."
"Right place and time, BB," he admonished as the ship burst from the hangar and he scanned for danger. “And what would you know about sexy?”
Area 51 was crawling with civilian vehicles. Packs of heavily armed men ran around, engaging in periodic fire fights. AJ estimated as many as five hundred personnel were visible in the immediate area. Since the real fighting was focused on the underground bunker, the invaders numbered at least four times that many. In addition to the civilians, he also identified at least a dozen armored personnel carriers, all topped with devastating machine gun turrets. On fire and laying on the tarmac were several airplanes that had attempted escape but were unsuccessful.
"I'm going ballistic!" Darnell pulled back on his controls and the ship arced upward, orienting completely vertical.
"Oh, shit," AJ said, his eyes falling on a pair of large and obviously alien warships streaking toward their position. "We've got company."
The shuttle shuddered as something heavy struck its hull. "We're taking fire," Beverly said. "Those are like the ships that attacked my mission. I am sorry, AJ. There will be no escape today. All is lost."
"Bullshit!" Darnell pulled at the flight stick and snapped the shuttle to a horizontal orientation, pointing directly at the approaching ships. AJ opened fire, tagging the armored skin of the approaching vessels.
"You can't win," Beverly said. "They're too powerful. It would be better to set down and hope they take you alive. You have no possibility of survival, otherwise."
Darnell grinned, racing directly at the lead warship. "Never tell me the odds."
"What are you doing?" she asked. "We'll be destroyed."
"They don't call it chicken for nothing!" Darnell cried, as AJ stitched a line of fire down the side of the closest fast-approaching ship. His enthusiasm was cut short as they took heavy fire from both approaching ships, rocking the Vred vessel unmercifully.
"What's this thing made of?" AJ asked, incredulously. "How are we still alive?"
"Vred hulls are made of an intricate weave of matrixed alloys," Beverly said. "Truthfully, they have not shared the exact method of construction, but the hulls are extremely resilient to kinetic damage. It would be impossible to safely navigate otherwise."
Darnell was grinning madly. "Should have said that earlier."
"Oh, crap, you're not gonna …" AJ fumbled for the harness on the back of the chair. "Jayne, strap in, this is gonna suck!"
A moment later, the shuttle collided with the Korgul warship with a horrific sound and tremendous impact. Like a rock skipping across the smooth surface of a quiet pond, the Vred shuttle deflected from the hard surface of the warship's armor, sending it tumbling away.
"Hull integrity!" Darnell grunted in pain as his chest was shoved mercilessly against his flight harness.
"Significant damage," Beverly answered as he fought to level out flight.
"Are we holding air?"
"Of course," she answered.
Darnell jammed his left hand forward and jostled with the flight stick as he continued to fight for control. In response, the shuttle angled upward, a sonic boom answering his insistent acceleration. "Who wins a foot race?" he asked.
"It is unknown," Beverly answered. "The warships have turned in our direction and are pursuing. You have created a separation of eight hundred yards and for the moment, that separation is increasing."
"Lay in a course for Tanderi," Darnell said. "I want warp speed as soon as we break atmosphere."
"That is not possible," she replied. "First off, warp is a poor description of the interaction of the transverse engines. Second, there are specific transit points within each solar system. We must first reach the correct transit point."
"Those tubs are falling off," AJ said. "What's the chance they've got buddies in orbit waiting for us?"
"It is a certainty. I am tracking four new ships on intercept courses." Beverly showed a three-dimensional image of four new ships racing at them from space, in addition to the ships chasing them from Area 51.
"They're boxing us in," AJ said. "They want to capture us, not kill us."
"I'm going to make a run for it," Darnell said, pouring on speed, although it was becoming eminently obvious that there was no possibility of escape.
"Damn. That was the last of the thermosphere," AJ said. "We're officially astronauts. What do you bet nobody's ever gonna hear about that?"
"The Korgul are attempting communication," Beverly said. "Do you want to hear their demands?"
"What do you think they'll do to us when we're captured?" AJ asked, defeat creeping into his thoughts.
"They'll separate you from my crew," Beverly said. "After that, if you live, you'll be bonded so that your memories are accessible. I'd expect death to follow."
"What happens to you?" AJ asked.
"Our removal will result in death," Beverly said. "I want to thank you for a valiant attempt, Albert Jenkins, Amanda Jayne, and Darnell Jackson. You have demonstrated much courage, loyalty and intelligence. I only wish my report would be delivered so that others might know how wrong the Galactic Empire's assessment of humanity is."
"Screw them," AJ said. "Darnell, full speed ahead. If they want to take us out, let's go down fighting."
"Oorah!" Darnell answered.
"The Korgul commander is transmitting that he respects our final, futile move," Beverly said. "He has ordered his ships to dispatch us if we do not slow and allow them to board."
AJ felt a cool hand grab his own. "Don't answer," Jayne said. "We shouldn’t give them anything. Let them destroy us. It's been a good ride, boys. Maybe we'll find each other in another life."
AJ squeezed Jayne's hand. "Punch it, Big D."
Twenty-Seven
Finale
"All enemy vessels are charging weapons," Beverly announced. "On behalf of the Beltigersk people, I humbly thank each of you for your sacrifice. Your selfless acts will demonstrate to the myriad beings of the Galactic Empire that humanity is much more than has been acknowledged."
"Hold the speeches, lima bean
," Darnell growled. "I'm taking the ship on the starboard. AJ, are you in firing range yet?"
"Negative," AJ said. "We're still fifty miles out."
"Feels closer," Darnell said.
"There is no use," Beverly said. "Korgul energy weapons are effective at twenty miles. By accelerating at the single ship, you are reducing the time to when we'll be within that range. And why am I a lima bean?"
Darnell chuckled but didn't slow their acceleration. "Always figured that's what you really look like."
"Oh," Beverly managed, unable to find a suitable response.
AJ picked a location on the ship they were closing in on and worked at holding his aim. Even though his targeting reticle showed a significantly magnified target, it held steady. The weapon's control programming took into consideration the vast distance.
"Any danger of us out-accelerating our weapon's fire, BB?" AJ asked.
"No," Beverly answered. "I do not understand why you seek to hasten our end."
"Me and Big D have been in some pretty tough scrapes," he explained patiently. "We learned early on that the best answer in a tight spot is to strap on a little crazy. Fucks with the enemy's head so they make mistakes. Worse case, they'll think twice about messing with humans."
"They will have firing solution in five, four, three …" Beverly ticked the countdown.
Without waiting for the final count, Darnell jerked on the flight stick, rolling the vessel hard to portside. His timing was perfect as three bright yellow beams traveled the twenty miles that separated the two ships, just missing their vessel.
"Good job, 2-F," Darnell said, orienting back on the enemy craft. In response, AJ opened fire with his projectile weapons, anticipating movement from the Korgul warship but not expecting to actually score a hit. "What's the recharge rate on their weapons? Shit!" Darnell started to roll the vessel as the energy weapon fired again. This time, a single, devastating bolt struck the side of their ship.
"We're not holed," AJ said, even though the lighting within the cockpit had extinguished.
"How do you know?" Jayne asked in a trembling voice.
"No spacesuits and we're still breathing," AJ said. "BB, can you get us online?"
Suddenly, a green glowing wire frame wrapped around the surfaces of the ship's interior and its occupants. "Do not trust what you are seeing," Beverly said. "We are generating a visual field from what was last observed."
"You're saying, contents may have shifted in transit?" he asked.
"Precisely," Beverly answered. "You must gain access to the energy subsystem. The Korgul have disabled our vessel. It is possible we might get it back online, though."
"Sneaky little bastards. So much for going out with a bang." AJ jumped up from his seat and raced to where Beverly indicated. On the way, his shin struck an unexpected and unseen object, knocking him to the deck. "Dammit!"
He felt a hand on his back. "Looks like the locker got knocked open," Jayne said. "Rub your leg to restore circulation."
"I'm fine," AJ growled, choosing to crawl the final distance instead of getting back to his feet. He soon heard items being shuffled behind him. "What are you doing?"
"I bought a flashlight at Mega Mart," Jayne said, as a bright light nearly blinded him and then was moved away from his eyes. "Sorry, didn't think it was pointed at your face."
AJ pushed at the deck plate's release mechanism and then swung open a two-by-four-foot section. "Shine your light in here," he said. "Smells like the blue smoke monster got out."
Jayne narrowed her eyes with a slightly bemused expression. "Smoke monster?" she asked, shining the light into the compartment.
"Old electrical engineer's joke," AJ said as he inspected the slagged electronics. "If you overheat electronics, you can get a puff of blue smoke. We used to joke it was the smoke that made the electronics work and if it ever escaped, the machine was done for. BB, tell me we're not done for here."
"It is worse than I had imagined," Beverly said. "The Korgul weaponry has completely disintegrated this vessel's control systems. You will perish from hypoxia within a few hours."
"But you could hide on the ship, just like you did on those rocket hulls I bought, right?" AJ asked.
"Extracting ourselves from our hosts is a last resort," Beverly said. "We have discussed the potential for death to both host and rider."
"Sure, but you could wait until we were close to death and then, what does it matter?" AJ argued.
"It matters because the Beltigersk stand a better chance of survival when extracting from a healthy host. Lack of oxygen will reduce their chance of survival significantly," Jayne said.
"How do you know that?" AJ asked.
"Jack just showed me the data," Jayne said.
"He should not have done that," Beverly said. "All life is precious. There is a chance the Korgul will keep us alive."
Without warning, Jayne tipped her head back and screamed in anguish, holding her head in both hands.
"Doc! What's going on?" AJ asked, although he imagined he already knew the answer. Jayne turned her head to AJ and stared at him with wide eyes as she howled in agony. Reaching for her, he held her in his arms and attempted to provide comfort as her back arched and she thrashed.
"903218876-1-J you will desist immediately!" Beverly's voice filled AJ's head, muting Jayne's screams. "You are committing an act of mutiny and will be punished accordingly."
"That is most inaccurate," Jack said, once again sounding like an Oxford professor. "The human subject, Dr. Amanda Anne Jayne, is not classified as fully sentient. As it is evident this human will shortly be deceased, exfiltration is warranted."
"Don't stop him," Jayne panted between sobs. "Bad."
"As you see, the human agrees."
"Are you sure, Dr. Jayne?" Beverly asked. "This is unnecessary."
"Get him out!" Jayne barked and then resumed a pained cry.
"I am sorry, Dr. Jayne. This is not how it should be," Beverly said. A moment later, Jayne's screaming stopped and was replaced by shuddering sobs. "The pain should subside soon, dear. I am so sorry."
AJ pulled Jayne onto his lap and cradled her to his chest, stroking her hair as tears streamed down her face. "Hang in there, kid," he said quietly, kissing her hair and holding her as Greybeard nuzzled against them.
"Damn, what happened?" Darnell asked, sinking to a crouch.
"Jack extracted himself so he doesn't die when we run outta air," AJ said.
"Noble of him," Darnell said with disgust, placing a hand on Jayne's shoulder. "Jayne, you gonna be okay?"
"I … I don't know," she answered.
"Dr. Jayne's body is shutting down due to the trauma," Beverly informed AJ privately. "It does not appear that she will survive."
"You've got to do something," AJ subvocalized.
"Without access to medical technology, there is nothing any of us can do," Beverly answered. "Be with her, AJ. Gain comfort in your closeness. The atmosphere will only last twenty minutes."
"No regrets. Right, Big D?" AJ said.
"Not even one," Darnell answered. "We gave 'em a helluva fight, didn't we?"
"Always do," AJ answered.
"Hope Lisa's okay," Darnell said, resting his back against the outer bulkhead.
"She's a tough woman," AJ said. "Hell, she'll probably find herself a side piece now that you're out of the picture."
"You're an asshole. Anybody ever tell you that?" Darnell said the words without venom.
"Feel like you might have mentioned that."
Darnell chuckled and the group fell quiet as the ship drifted.
"Oxygen is reaching critical levels," Beverly announced several minutes later.
"Already?" AJ asked, blinking his eyes. "You need to get yourself out of me, BB."
"I have a few minutes before that must happen," Beverly said. "It will be less painful if I wait for you to lose consciousness."
AJ might have ignored the soft bump on the ship if not for Greybeard jumping to his feet and b
arking. "Are they waiting for us to expire before they board?" he asked, panting.
The ship shuddered as something heavy struck the exterior hatch. Using what little strength he had left, Darnell pushed away from the hatch and scooted out of the way.
"That is unusual," Beverly said. "The Korgul have had plenty of time to board. I assumed they were awaiting our demise."
"Ooh," Jayne grunted, bringing her hands to her ears as the pressure in the cabin quickly changed. A moment later, a red dot appeared on the inside of the hatch and expanded to a circle, two inches in diameter. The red soon turned white and then quivered as the metal turned molten and was sucked backward through the door.
"What the hell?" AJ asked when a second red dot appeared on the hatch, twenty inches below the first. The dot expanded again to a two-inch circle that was also liquified and removed.
Cool, fresh, sweet-smelling air poured through the top hole, as the carbon-dioxide-rich cabin air was pulled through the bottom hole.
"Oh, man," Darnell said, breathing deeply. "That's good stuff."
"Most unusual," Beverly said, appearing on the deck, her outfit shifting from blue jeans and a white blouse to a long, shimmering black robe.
AJ felt the ship move. "BB, what's cooking?"
"I am not certain," she answered. "I believe things are not as we once thought."
"Not helpful," he said as the motion stopped.
A red glow appeared around the outline of the hatch and like before, the red soon turned white. AJ stood and tried to revive Jayne, but she didn’t respond. He lifted her, holding her in his arms as Darnell stood next to him, pistol drawn. Slowly, the hatch was pulled away from the ship and bright light poured through the hole, blinding the occupants.
When their eyes adjusted, a single figure stood in the doorway. At two and a half feet tall, the figure was humanoid, wearing a silky medium-blue robe. As details came into focus, AJ saw a bandit, elegantly clad, with a mask and dark-gray fur. AJ couldn’t help it. The only thought that went screaming through his mind was raccoon. Fortunately, he kept this observation to himself.
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