“Do you have a suggestion of where you think we should look?” asked Dave.
“Well, no,” said Keith, “but, I have an idea. It may sound strange. And, um it may not even work. And you may think it’s silly and—”
“What is it, Lieutenant? We don’t have all day. I’m sure it can’t be too dumb.” Andrews smiled at Keith.
“It might be.”
“Go ahead.”
“OK.” Keith took a deep breath. “You know how Penelope has the ability to locate the Captain no matter where he is aboard the ship. Well, I was thinking—”
“Hampton, that is brilliant!”
“You think it could work?”
“Yes!”
“We can put her in a backpack,” said Keith.
“Ensign Glenna,” shouted Andrews. “Please empty out your backpack and place Penelope in it. Bring her to us.”
Keith secured the backpack containing Penelope to his belt pack and he and Dave Andrews lowered themselves down the ropes back once more into Brisula City.
It felt like he had been hit in the head by a hammer. There was a constant throbbing inside his brain that was crashing against the walls of his skull. Bam Bam Bam. Something was dripping down his face. Splashing into his eyes. Running off the tip of his nose. The thick liquid touched his upper lip. He stuck out his tongue. It tasted like blood. Another drop followed and then another. For some reason he couldn’t use his hands to reach up and stop the dripping. Where was it coming from? A leaking pipe? Slowly he lifted his head upwards and the droplets stopped. His eyes opened and suddenly it all came crashing back. Josh remembered Captain Torgenson ordering him to return to the Gladiator. Instead of retreating Josh began asking questions about the calls he received from Lieutenant Shasta. This made Torgenson quite angry and he pulled a gun out. He ordered Josh to surrender his weapon. When Josh refused, Torgenson began attacking him. Somehow Torgenson got a hold of a hammer and slammed Josh over the head with it.
Captain Stoner looked around. He recognized his surroundings. He had been here before. The Construction Site. It appeared abandoned, as it was when he and the other captives were on their way to escaping. This time he found himself tethered to a steel bar cemented into the ground. His hands were in chains behind his back. On his right also chained to a bar was Marlana Berg. He called out to her but she did not wake up. Josh inched his leg carefully out toward the doctor and nudged her gently. She began to stir.
“Dr. Berg. Wake up. Can you hear me? Are you all right?” said Josh trying to rouse her. Slowly she came around. She opened her eyes and stared at Josh.
“Captain, the cut on your forehead has reopened,” she said.
“Oh, so that’s where the blood is coming from. Are you all right?”
“Yes. I was not injured. Just a bit shaken up. I dozed off. I’m concerned about that cut.”
“Well, there’s nothing you can do about it right now. First we need to figure out a way to get out of here.” Josh turned his head around several times then sighed deeply. “On second thought, we may just need to wait until we are rescued. I’m sure Hampton and Andrews will come looking for us.”
“Captain, I need to apologize,” said Dr. Berg.
“For what?”
“For saying, ‘I told you so.’ Obviously you were right that something is wrong here.”
“I am worried about Wayne Shasta,” said Josh. “The conversation I had with him in the Communications Station was quite odd. He did not seem to know who Joban was or to remember the calls he made to me.”
“There is a very logical explanation for all of that,” explained Marlana. “When Mr. Shasta bumped his head, he most likely suffered a concussion, and as a result it affected his more recent memory.”
“Maybe,” said Josh, “but it is also strange that he never asked me how Keith was doing. He would not have forgotten his best friend.”
“No, he would not have forgotten Mr. Hampton. However, we do not know his reason for not asking you about Mr. Hampton. He could have thought it was not appropriate to ask a superior officer a question of that nature, or he may have been planning to ask you the question at the end of our visit.”
“Yes, you make good points. I am probably overreacting. Now as for Captain Torgenson, that is a whole other matter. What the hell is going on with him?”
“Nurse, I need your assistance with the patient in bed number four,” said Dr. Carter as he came up behind Amanda Rugan. She was seated at her desk logging in a report.
Turning around to look at the doctor, she said, “I will call Jill Mann to help you.”
“That shouldn’t be necessary. You are here and I see no reason why you cannot assist me,” said Dr. Carter.
“But, doctor,” began Amanda.
“There are no buts, nurse,” commanded Carter clearly annoyed. “Now come with me.”
“Yes, sir.” Amanda got up and reluctantly followed behind Tobias Carter. They ducked through the curtains that were drawn around bed number four.
Amanda tried not to look at him. She had managed to avoid any contact since that final conversation where they had exchanged “I love yous”. That was how she was hoping to leave things. She had been trying to console herself to the fact that their love for each other was a lost cause, something that could never develop any further. She needed to forget him and move on with her life. But she was afraid that just seeing his face or hearing his voice was going to bring all those emotions flooding back to the surface. She would have to start the battle to get over him once again.
“Good evening, Dr. Loring,” greeted Carter. “I have discussed your situation with Lieutenant Commander Pearson, and we agreed that you are ready to be discharged from Sick Bay and transferred to the Brig. Nurse Rugan and I will perform a final physical exam and then I will have Security escort you to your cell.”
Paul nodded and quickly turned his attention to Amanda. His face broke into a cheerful smile with a twinkle in his eyes. Wow, how he had missed her. Paul had wondered if he would ever see her again. Losing Amanda was the one thing he regretted more than anything about his arrest.
“Amanda, it is good to see you. How have you been holding up?” Paul asked. She did not answer, nor did she look at him.
“Nurse, Dr. Loring asked you a question,” said Dr. Carter. “Did you not hear him?”
“I heard him, sir,” replied Amanda.
“Well, then answer him.”
“No, that’s OK. She doesn’t have to,” inserted Paul.
“No, it is rude not to answer you,” said Dr. Carter. He turned to face Amanda. “Nurse, please answer Dr. Loring’s question.”
Amanda stared at Dr. Carter for a couple of seconds then turned her head and looked at Paul. She could feel the blood rushing to her face and the pitter-patter of her heart speeding up. “I am fine, Dr. Loring. Thank you for asking.”
Somehow she made it through the exam. She survived all the smiles, nods, winks, and hand squeezes Paul threw her way when Tobias wasn’t looking. Then it broke her heart as she stood and watched Paul being led away in handcuffs by security guards. Would that be the last time she would see him? Was that the final image of him that would remain etched in her mind?
CHAPTER SEVEN
June 23, 1900 Hours
Dennis Pearson didn’t want to admit it but he was getting pretty worried. It was quickly approaching nighttime. He had not planned on eating supper, but Dr. Carter had come to the Bridge and asked to speak to him. Dennis had suggested they go to Sick Bay but the doctor insisted that Dennis needed to take a break and get something to eat.
Now he looked around the Conference Room. Everyone was present so he called the meeting to order.
“It has been almost ten hours since the Captain and the others landed on Brisula and we have not heard from them.” Dennis told the group. “There is a force field inhibiting us from making contact with anyone on Brisula. This field was not present the first time we visited Brisula nor was it in place when we fi
rst arrived back here. Jackson Greene and Bonnie Shea have been analyzing the field and have prepared a report.” He paused for a moment. “I will turn the floor over to them.”
“Thank you, sir,” began Jackson, his fingers moving quickly over the raised dots on the thick white sheets of paper lying in front of him on the mahogany table. “This force field is quite different from most force fields that we encounter, in that it is not made up of energy nor is it electrified. Rather it is an invisible metallic substance acting like a steel umbrella or roof shielding the whole planet. The substance is made up of several elements including wolfram, iron, iodine, carbon, helium, and at least one unknown. The main composition is wolfram, more commonly known as tungsten. Wolfram is element number seventy-four in the periodic table and is the heaviest of all the known elements. In its raw form it is strong but can be malleable. When mixed with other elements it can become stronger than even the toughest steel or lead. At one time tungsten was used in the construction of rocket nozzles and projectiles. The umbrella over Brisula is a thin invisible layer of impenetrable tangents of steel. Most likely it was launched into the sky above the planet while in a gaseous state, and then when combined with the colder air in the outer atmosphere it formed a solid. While the umbrella is currently in a solid state, like almost all known elements and alloys, it can exist in three states: gas, liquid, and solid. I have not been able to establish the exact identity of this chemical alloy due to the existence of an unknown element in its makeup. It does not seem to be one that is known to our scientists, which probably means that it is not a natural element but one that has been created by an alien scientist or group of scientists. We have been testing some of the properties of the umbrella, and we do know that in both its solid and gaseous forms it is toxic to human life, extremely dense, and flammable.”
“Can we launch a space pod through it?” inquired Dennis Pearson.
“That would not be advisable, sir,” responded Jackson. “Since the metal is flammable, the heat that is generated from the space pod’s engines might be enough to inflame the shield and set the craft on fire.”
“So, what do we need to do to penetrate the field?” asked Dennis.
“Well, sir,” answered Jackson, “in its present state we could try to find a way to cut or bore through the solid wall, however, I think that would be very time consuming and in the end probably futile.” He paused and rubbed the palms of his hands along the side of his uniform pants. The temperature in the room was probably normal, but Jackson was perspiring as if the thermostat was set at one hundred degrees. “Of course, we could set it on fire,” he continued. “But that would be quite dangerous as a fire that massive could set our ship and the entire planet ablaze, especially since Brisula is one big forest.”
“What’s another option?”
“Heating it without setting it on fire would turn it into a gas and could be a possibility. Extreme caution would be required as the gas would be toxic. It could penetrate the ship through even the slightest crack or pinhole. In addition it might float down to Brisula and infect their air.”
“Any other alternatives?”
“Yes, sir. Probably the most feasible choice would be to liquefy the shield. That is, to turn it into a watery substance. To do that we need to find a way to heat the shield enough to make it melt, but not so much that it boils into its gaseous form.”
“Would the liquid damage the trees and plant life on Brisula?” asked Diane Pearson.
“No,” said Jackson. “Once we melt the shield it will transform into a vapor—a gas-like state that can exist below the boiling point. The vapor could disperse after we melt it, but since I am also quite certain that in its liquid state this metal is not toxic; this shouldn’t be a concern as long as the vapor doesn’t get too hot.”
“Do you know how hot we need to make the metal?” inquired Dennis, scratching his forehead. His brain was already analyzing ways to heat up this strange umbrella shielding them from the Captain.
“I have not yet determined the melting point. Wolfram has the highest melting point of any known element, 3,422 degrees Celsius.”
“OK, Officer Greene, you continue working on finding the melting point. Ensign Rubin and I will work on a strategy for applying heat to the force field. This meeting is adjourned.”
Everyone began getting up to leave. Dennis walked over to Amanda Rugan and tapped her on the shoulder before she exited the room.
“Amanda, I need to talk to you. Please wait until everyone has left.”
The room emptied out and Dennis pointed to a seat near the front door. Amanda sat down and Dennis slid into the chair next to her. He poured two fresh cups of coffee. Then he made some small talk asking Amanda if she’s heard from her parents lately and what she planned to do on her next scheduled shore leave. Finally he got down to business.
“The reason I needed to talk to you is because of a report that Dr. Carter filed with me,” said Dennis. “He wanted it placed on the record that your behavior was inappropriate in regards to a recent situation with Paul Loring.”
Amanda stared at Dennis wide-eyed. “Sir, I can explain.”
Dennis held up his hand. “Let me finish.” He gave her a slight smile. “He states that he asked you to assist him to carry out an examination of Dr. Loring and you offered to have Nurse Mann help him instead.” Amanda nodded affirmatively. “Then you refused to answer a personal question that Paul asked you.” Again Amanda nodded.
“Of course, I fully understand your actions, and I find no fault in what you did. I did not tell Dr. Carter anything about your relationship with Paul. That is your business. I just told him I would talk with you. It is my opinion that Dr. Carter’s report should be torn up but that is the Captain’s call. However, knowing the Captain, I am sure he will agree.”
Dennis reached out and squeezed Amanda’s hands, which she had clenched together on the table. They both rose and headed out the door.
Lieutenant Hampton gently lifted Penelope out of the backpack. He stroked her several times and scratched her ears. Placing her on the slippery silver floor he told her to find Captain Stoner. The feline quickly took off down the 7 Passageway. Commander Andrews and Hampton hurried after her. The cat crossed the J Lane. Just as Penelope entered the Traffic Corridor a uniformed officer could be seen approaching from the south. Keith rushed ahead, snatched up the cat, and motioned for Andrews to press up against the wall. The unknown officer paused at the intersection and then turned to the west.
Fantastic, thought Keith. He will not be going by us.
It was then that Penelope chose to let out a soft, yet audible meow, causing the officer to stop short.
“What the hell was that?” the man said out loud to himself. He turned around and headed north up the 7 Passageway where the strange sound had come from. As the officer got closer, Hampton and Andrews flattened themselves tighter against the wall. They had removed their zip guns from their belt packs and were ready to defend themselves if necessary. The man’s face loomed into view and the two Gladiator officers heaved a heavy sigh of relief. It was Wayne Shasta.
“Holy Toledo!” gasped Hampton. “You gave us quite a scare. It’s good to see you.” He gave Wayne a pat on the back. Shasta backed away. “How have you been?”
“Fine,” answered Wayne.
“I sure have been missing you. So has Bev.”
“Who’s Bev?”
“Ensign Glenna.” Keith looked over at Dave Andrews who simply shrugged his shoulders.
“What’s with the cat?” Wayne asked ignoring Keith’s response to the question about Bev.
“She’s the newest member of the crew. Part of the medical staff. We brought her along to help us find Captain Stoner. She’s kind of like a bloodhound.”
“Sounds silly,” responded Wayne. “Besides, Captain Stoner is not down here. You must return to the surface.”
“Lieutenant Shasta, did you see the Captain earlier today?” asked Dave Andrews.
�
��Yes. I talked to him and the doctor. I told them everything was fine.”
“And then what?”
“Then they left.”
“Lieutenant, I thought you were concerned that things were not going well here. It also appeared that you had been injured.”
“No, sir. Everything is going well here. I had bumped my head but I am fine now. But the two of you must leave.”
“We cannot leave without the Captain.”
“I told you he is not here.”
“We need to speak to Captain Torgenson.”
“That isn’t possible. The Captain is a very busy man. Besides, I have my orders, and those are to escort all Gladiator officers back to the surface. So please.” He pointed his right arm toward the Boulder Entrance. “Now move.”
Hampton stuffed Penelope back into her backpack, and then he and Andrews slowly retraced their steps along the 7 Passageway until they reached the ropes. Wayne ordered them to climb up. He watched as the two men began lifting themselves up along the ropes. A phone rang. Wayne answered it and then rushed off. Keith and Dave slid back down, waited for a bit, and then resumed their search for Captain Stoner.
“So this is the gorgeous Beverly I’ve been hearing so much about,” said Commodore Naper smiling at Ensign Glenna. “She certainly lives up to all the fanfare.”
Beverly blushed. “It is nice to meet you, sir.” What, she wondered, would these two gentlemen really think of her if they knew that she had cheated on her fiancé? And that she had also just cheated on her lover? What kind of woman was she? Selfish. Yes, she was selfish. Just like Keith said she was. Those three days with Keith, roaming around the Gladiator, were like being in heaven. She actually had shed some tears when it was time to return to work. But then she got a message from Colin telling her that his crew had been assigned to Brisula. It was the first time she had heard from him in three weeks. As she read his message, her love for him came flooding back. So she decided that she had to stay away from Keith. It was mean and selfish to just let him hang there, but she still loved him and still wanted him. Gosh, how it hurt her when she lied and told him that she never loved him. What am I going to do? I love Keith so much. But I also love Colin and so do want to marry him and be his wife.
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