by Paul Rix
Britannic was somehow still in one piece, its rotational speed sufficient to prevent Scorpion from successfully targeting the hangar. The scorched and scarred area around the hangar was a testament to Maxwell's ingenuity but it was only a matter of time before Scorpion found its range.
"Can you plot a course that moves us within range of Scorpion's arc on the next revolution? One that makes us appear as if we're simply drifting."
Garrett felt the thrusters fire intermittently as the ship gradually moved closer. All Raptor had to do was position itself in the path of Scorpion. Delta would come to him. But with the impossibly narrow margin for error, he knew there was a risk the mines would detonate at the wrong time.
He briefly considered sharing his plan with O'Brien, but it simply wasn't worth the risk of Delta discovering that Raptor wasn't entirely out of the fight. Britannic would have to go it alone.
For the first time, he inspected one of the SDMs. He'd never used them, but he imagined the detonation principles were similar to the ordnance he had used when in the Marine Corps. It could be controlled remotely, via proximity sensors or even a timer.
"If you establish an interface with the SDMs, will you be able to detonate them when we're within the kill zone?"
"That's all I needed to know. Please execute the instructions. How long until we are in position?"
"So I have a little over three minutes to live. I can think of worse reasons to die."
After one last view of Britannic, he turned his attention to connecting the SDMs to Raptor's computer. Randomly, he wondered if anyone would inform his brother that he'd died. Angrily, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. It didn't matter if no one ever discovered his last act of honor.
Chapter 55
"I think we're almost through the bulkhead, Your Grace."
Delta patted Rankin's shoulder. Victory was now within sight, allowing her to speed back to Constance II and prevent her brother from seizing control. "Outstanding work. Ready the torpedoes."
Her eyes shone with a new level of zeal as she watched the steady stream of high-powered particle beams systematically destroy large chunks of the hangar's bulkhead. It had taken the corporal a while to master the targeting system, but she was now making up for lost time. Material was vaporized or tumbled loose out of the hangar, to be cast into space by the ship's rate of rotation. Scorpion's propulsion and navigation systems, however, were protesting at having to maintain a circular orbit with minute precision. Red lights flashed across most of the command stations on the bridge, warning of imminent failures. She had already disconnected the audible alarms and was considering overriding the alarms entirely. It was imperative Rankin remained focused solely on the hangar without any distractions.
The internal comms system burst into life. She rolled her eyes as she keyed the response button. "Now is not a good time, Trask. Whatever you want will have to wait."
"No, it can't. It's Magdalena. She's in a lot of pain and requires medication. She needs it now."
"Not possible. Is she dying?"
"I'm not a medic. How would I know?" Trask snapped. "Surely it will only take a few minutes to get what we need."
"Not now I have bigger issues to deal with."
"Listen, Delta. If we're going to build a better working relationship, you're going to have to show I can trust you. I'm not getting that vibe from you. Don't make me ask again."
"I will deal with it when I can. Britannic is about to be cracked like an egg, and I will not miss seeing that."
"Magdalena cannot wait for you to—"
Delta cut the connection and blocked any repeat interruptions. She regretted ever bringing Trask on board. He and his consort were not going to be returning with her to the palace.
***
"We have to cease using the thrusters," Takahashi called out, trying to make herself heard above the sound of the alarms.
"Just another minute," Maxwell shouted back. The multiple displays in front of her were telling a story of impending system failures. All thrusters had exceeded their maximum operating temperatures as the cooling systems struggled with the extended firing duration. The propellant tanks were at critical pressures and likely to rupture at any moment. It was incredible that Britannic was still holding together, stubbornly refusing to accept the limitations placed on it by its long-dead designers.
Yet the latest update from O'Brien was that all their efforts were in vain. The opposition ship's weapons had almost broken through the hangar bulkhead. And the tremors running through the ship were increasing in severity and frequency.
"No, Lacey. We'll destroy ourselves. We can't carry on. I'm shutting them down." Takahashi didn't wait for a response. Before Maxwell could react, she keyed in the instructions for the thrusters to shut down in parallel.
Maxwell had nothing left to say. Deep down, she knew the decision was the right one. They had done their best to resist a cruel enemy, knowing the odds had always been against them. How could Britannic counter an attack from a vessel built over two thousand years in the future? It was never going to be a fair fight.
Wiping away a stray tear, she smiled ruefully at Takahashi. "Thanks, Sakura. You couldn't have done any more. You have done an incredible job in extreme circumstances."
Takahashi took two steps towards Maxwell and hugged her tightly. "I wish we could have done more. It would have been incredible to deliver the colonists to the future. Garrett gave us a taste of what we could expect and it's so heartbreaking to have it snatched away when it was within our grasp. My family will never know we succeeded. I was dreaming of showing them the worlds that Oz described. And I don't understand the reason someone has decided we must die."
"We don't need to know the reasons. We can't change them. What's important is we know we made it all the way to the Stellar Cluster. That's a phenomenal feat. Plus, we never gave up trying."
"Do you think it will be quick? Death, I mean."
"I hope so. I expect it will be. Once they breach the bulkhead, I imagine Britannic will implode along the central core."
"I'm scared," Takahashi said, tears running freely down her face.
"Me too, but we're together in this until the end. Maybe we'll find ourselves on another adventure."
Despite the fear, Maxwell felt an unexpected calmness. Maybe it was the inevitability of death or the knowledge that there was nothing more she could do. She only hoped that she remained strong in whatever seconds she had left.
Chapter 56
Garrett watched as the looming rear half of Britannic swung past Raptor less than three hundred meters away. The speed at which the hull sailed past was mesmerizing, and it would have swatted Raptor like an insect had their paths crossed. The forward part of Britannic would pass by in under ninety seconds, signaling the end for both Garrett and Raptor.
The moment was bittersweet for Garrett. Although he was at peace with his imminent death, he would have enjoyed observing the celebrations for Britannic's formal arrival. Captain Maxwell and her crew were good people, and it would have been fascinating to see how they adapted to their new lives.
However, there was no way for him to transfer back to the ark. Raptor had no personal propulsion units and his spacesuit's batteries and oxygen supply had not recharged. Only ten minutes of breathable air remained in the suit; nowhere near enough time for any ship to recover him.
The image on the screen changed to focus on the oncoming Britannic’s bow. It seemed to travel slowly as it headed almost directly for him. He could just make out the location of the hangar by Scorpion's bl
ack dot and the wreckage from the bulkhead being hurled into space. There was a lot of material coming from the hangar and he feared he may have left his timing too late.
"Oz, what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Levi Murphy's voice was the most unexpected and welcome surprise.
"Levi? Where are you?"
"I'm five minutes away from your position. I'm trying to figure out what you've done to Raptor. And is that a genuine Project Exodus Ark?"
"Yes, it's Britannic. I don't have time to explain, but I'm trying to prevent it from being destroyed by President D’Angelo's daughter."
"You have got to be joking. What valid reason could there be for the destruction of a memorial to our history."
"I don't have time to explain. Raptor is damaged beyond repair and on emergency power only. I've positioned it in Scorpion's flight path."
"That has to be the worst plan ever. The enemy ship is going to tear through Raptor like a knife through butter."
"I have three spatial displacement mines to help me. The computer calculates they'll be enough to cripple Scorpion. As you're here, can you escort Britannic to safety? I have revived some of its crew and hundreds more are in stasis."
"Can't you escort it?"
"You can see the state Raptor is in."
"Then eject, you idiot. I'll pick you up."
Garrett turned back to the view screen. Britannic dominated the image, with Scorpion traveling just ahead of the oncoming hulk and seemingly oblivious to his presence.
Success was outside of his control. He had done everything he could in the circumstances; all he could do was rely on good fortune and the accuracy of Raptor's computer. But, with Levi's arrival, maybe he could live through this.
"Computer, initiate emergency egress protocol in five seconds." He pulled down the visor on his helmet before securing the straps on his seat. As the computer counted down to zero, Garrett closed his eyes and braced for the ride of his life.
Explosive bolts released a hatch directly above him a fraction of a second before rocket motors propelled his seat into space with such ferocity that he could not speak or breathe.
When he opened his eyes, he was tumbling through space with Britannic looking almost close enough to touch as it sped toward him. He'd left the ejection too late.
***
The collision alarm rang around Scorpion's bridge, drowning out all other alarms.
"What's that?" Delta shouted to be heard above the cacophony.
Rankin paused firing the lasers and turned her attention to another display screen. "It's Raptor. It's altered course and is now directly in our path."
Delta knew it could not be there by chance. Clearly, the ship wasn't as dead as she'd thought. This was Garrett's last feeble effort to stop her from succeeding. He must know he stood no chance. Unless…
"Quickly, target Raptor with everything we have."
The corporal could not react quickly enough and Delta braced herself for impact moments before the screen filled with a blinding light. The ferocity of the explosion rocked Scorpion and, although the forcefield and hull absorbed most of the energy, internal power and propulsion failed.
The explosion threw Delta halfway across the bridge. She grunted as she landed heavily, gashing the side of her head against the edge of a chair. Pulling herself quickly to her feet, her eyes half glazed in shock and confusion, the screen showed the ship was spinning out of control.
"Corporal, move us out of Britannic's path. We're going to collide."
Rankin was already feverishly working the controls to restore some stability. "It's no good, the propulsion system is offline," she shouted in despair.
Delta ran to offer help but immediately realized the information on the displays meant nothing to her.
The last view she had was of Britannic rushing toward her. Unable to maintain its station, keeping ahead of Britannic, Scorpion was powerless to prevent the ark from slamming hard into it, and without the shields in place, Scorpion's hull cracked, splitting the ship in two.
Emergency doors snapped shut, protecting those on the bridge and preventing the atmosphere from being lost to space. Delta climbed to her feet, noticing Rankin slumped across her console with blood oozing from a deep gash on the side of her head. She hustled her body aside and began pressing all the controls in front of her to try to recover the situation.
She was still vainly trying to operate Scorpion when the propulsion system ruptured, enveloping the ship in an expanding fireball. Scorpion exploded into a million tiny pieces that briefly glowed white-hot before being tossed aside by the revolving ark as it continued its relentless journey through space.
Chapter 57
Murphy welcomed Garrett with a hug as soon as he stepped through the airlock on board his ship. It pleased Garrett to feel his friend embrace him, despite wincing at the pain in his side and ribs.
Murphy stepped back, his smile infectious. "Oz, you have a habit of destroying spacecraft lately."
"And you have a habit of rescuing me."
Murphy shrugged as if it was nothing. "What was wrong with Raptor? I selected her especially for you."
Garrett smiled. "She was an excellent ship. Well-built and stronger than she looked. She just needed more firepower to protect herself."
"Are you going to tell me about the ark and the trouble you've found yourself in?"
"I need to relay a message to them first. Let them know they're safe."
Murphy quickly led the way along a narrow corridor to the bridge. Garrett's first impression of the ship was it was more frugal than Raptor and appeared to be several years older. Murphy had definitely spent more of Colonel Lane's credits on Raptor than his own ship.
The bridge was tight with only enough space for the two of them sitting in identical high-backed command chairs. Garrett wasted no time opening a comms channel on the desired frequency. "Is that you, Oz?" asked a concerned Dr. O'Brien.
"Yes, Luke. It's over. I destroyed Scorpion. Tell Lacey her plan made all the difference."
"Thank God!" O'Brien exclaimed.
"I'll come back on board when Lacey and Sakura have reduced the rate of rotation. There's no hurry, though. I'm not going anywhere."
Garrett slumped into the co-pilot's seat, suddenly feeling very weary.
"Was that one of the crew?" Murphy asked. He could not control his excitement and was pacing up and down, eager to hear what Garrett had been doing.
Garrett, however, was more interested in discovering how Murphy had found him.
"I told you I would look out for you. A week ago, you weren't thinking straight; you haven't been yourself since Mercy died. I didn't know what you were going to do or where you were going and that's why I installed a tracking program into Raptor's computer to provide daily positional updates."
"You did what? How about trusting I can take care of myself?"
"Clearly you can't," said an unrepentant Murphy. "When the tracker's signal dropped out several days ago, I figured either you'd found it or something serious had happened. I became increasingly concerned when you didn't answer your comms so I skipped the hunt I was on in order to find you."
"You didn't have to do that."
"That's not how I see it. Another minute and you'd be as dead as everyone aboard Scorpion. I was able to plot Raptor's last position, but then I made the mistake of following the trajectory you had been on. It took me half a day to circle back."
"Thanks, Levi. I owe you," said Garrett, forcing a smile. All he wanted to do was sleep.
Garrett winced in pain as Murphy clapped him on the shoulder "As soon as I spotted Raptor's position I thought you were fulfilling your death wish. Please don't do that to me again."
"I was ready to die. But only because I thought it was the only way to save one thousand lives. I promise you, I am not going out searching for ways to die. I've had time since our last conversation, and I now accept that Mercy would want m
e to live a full life. It's going to take time to adjust to life without her and the rest of the squad but Captain Maxwell has shown me that some people need protecting through no fault of their own."
"So you've changed your opinions about victims?"
"That was the grief talking. You know me well enough to know I didn't mean most of what I said. I'm going to continue working on behalf of the innocent victims."
Murphy nodded. "The Britannic's occupants are lucky you were around to protect them. I can't wait to meet them and hear the stories they must have."
"We have to contact Constance II and inform the authorities before the president makes any further attempts to destroy Britannic. I assume the quantum communications net is back online."
"It activated as soon as you destroyed Scorpion. I sent an initial rescue message on my way to collect you. The PEA's existence will quickly become public knowledge and President D’Angelo will not dare to make any further attempts in plain sight of the Stellar Cluster."
"You're right. The experts need to handle the situation from now on. I almost caused the destruction of one of the most significant historical finds ever made."
"And you did cause the death of the president's daughter. What are you going to do about that?"
"I'm not apologizing for it," replied Garrett emphatically. "There are sufficient witnesses and visual records to prove what Delta was here to do. Her death will require an investigation just because of who she was. But I think President D’Angelo has more to fear from that process than I do. She won't want the whole truth coming out."
"The truth is going to be difficult to avoid. I know you won't hold back from being brutally honest."
"Damn right. If it wasn't for me, she would have annihilated Britannic and all the lives aboard. Captain Maxwell and her crew are amazing people. They have had to adapt amazingly fast to a surprising new reality. They will teach us so much about our pasts. Let me get some rest and I'll introduce you."
