by John Walker
***
Chapter 12
Desmond snapped out of his thoughts when Zach called his name. “Sir, it appears the intruders are on deck eight. They’re attempting to access the elevator to the bridge. I think they’re planting explosives.” He paused. “Yes, my scans show a detonator and some kind of timer.”
“Wonderful.” Desmond turned to Salina. “Do we have anyone in that area?”
“Not at the moment,” Salina replied. “I’ve dispatched them and they’re on their way. The marines are outside while engineering seals up the hull breach. Also, power drain has continued. We’re down to less than two hours of power before it goes.”
“That seems fast.”
Salina nodded. “I’m afraid it sped up. Even with every safeguard we’ve put into place. I’ve turned off every nonessential system, which is precisely why we’re all burning up in here.”
Desmond had been able to ignore the heat for a while but it definitely remained oppressive. He looked at his computer and rubbed his eyes when even it had been shut off. The screen was dimmed down to the lowest setting, providing a faded look at the area around the damaged part of the ship.
We’re not sitting ducks here. Pretty much no better off than the two ships who came before us. Desmond clasped his hands behind his back. “Just for fun, try to hail Vincent and the others.”
“Yes, sir.” Salina started speaking quietly into the microphone, her voice providing a rhythmic noise breaking up the otherwise mostly silent room. Zach and Deacon sat near the door with their weapons, lingering beside the security guards. There was nothing for them to do until the beam shut off.
And right now, it looks like it won’t matter. The efforts were wasted. I probably sent those people to die in some alien facility. Though at least they will have met their end trying to save us rather than huddled back here. How long will we be able to survive after the lights go out? I suppose it depends on when the next ship gets dragged down.
Desperation gnawed at him. He considered shutting off the rest of the systems, turning off everything that drew power to see if he might be able to trick their captors into lowering the beams. Even if it worked, they could just as easily crank the tractor back on and drag them down.
That’s not the answer. We can’t get out of the atmosphere fast enough.
Bombers might take on the facility but they were fairly convinced doing so wouldn’t cause enough damage to kill the power generators below ground. The stone itself wasn’t able to be scanned. Even if they leveled the place, the chances were good they’d simply trap their own people inside.
“I need some ideas, people. Thoughts. We’re at the eleventh hour here with some serious pieces of work literally at our door. It’s now or never.”
Deacon said, “we could try venting some of our remaining power. Maybe we can overload the beam holding us in place.”
“That won’t work,” Salina replied. “That beam has plenty of capacity. Overloading it would take twice our reactor when it’s at full strength.”
“Okay, so that’s one idea,” Desmond said. “Zach?”
“We might have to assume our team is gone. Drop everything we’ve got on that facility. Bombers, fighters, just tear it up.” Zach shrugged. “It’s not exactly eloquent but with all that firepower, we’d have to make some kind of dent.”
Salina shook her head. “The stone … Our scans may not have gone through much but the density of that stone is clear. Attacking that place will just waste resources at this point.”
“Then what’ve you got in mind?” Desmond asked. “You can’t shoot down every idea without at least one of your own.”
“We give our people a little more time. I … am willing to go on faith that they’re still there and will get that device off.”
“If you’re wrong,” Zach said, “we’ll find ourselves sitting here in the dark having done nothing.”
“We’ve done plenty,” Salina replied. “If there were an alternative, I’d be the first to get behind it.”
An explosion rocked the ship, vibrating the deck. Desmond moved to Salina’s station and switched the screen to deck eight. It flickered on, showing the mercenaries gathered around the breached door. They started filing in, climbing up the ladder toward the bridge. The last one leaned in and took a bullet in the back as security arrived.
Better late than never.
One of the Gnosis security dashed to the door, aiming his weapon inside and firing twice. Beams lit up the shaft. Desmond heard the gunfire echoing in the shaft. Switching through the different decks, two men disembarked on six and were aiming down, ready to take out anyone that followed.
Desmond clicked on the com and linked up with the security. “Do not pursue. They’ve got the area covered from six. Repeat, do not pursue. Dispatch additional units to six and two right away.”
Security at the door moved away when sparks began to pop through the seam. “Here they come, sir.”
The deck began to hum, a noise Desmond hadn’t heard before. At first, he was convinced it was some kind of cutting device but then he noticed the numbers over the elevator were climbing. Oh my God. Men started shouting in the shaft. The sparks stopped as the car came crashing through the ranks.
Bones snapped and the screams were cut short as the doors opened. No one said anything but all eyes fell on Salina. She lifted her shoulders. “It seemed like the best way to keep them out.”
“So it was, Salina.” Desmond nodded slowly. “So it was. Coordinate the repairs and a cleanup crew. We’ll focus on tidying up here and give the team more time. Seems like the best plan we’ve got.”
***
The Stalwart hit full speed, moving to meet their shuttle craft. Their opponent gave chase and their fighters disengaged completely. Ulian kept an eye on his console’s computer, watching reports scroll through. He wanted to know their plot was ready, that the warhead was in place and prepped to hit the target.
If their attack did not work, if they didn’t slow the enemy down at the very least, he would have to make a command decision to leave and get reinforcements. Part of him thought he had already exceeded his standard orders concerning opposition. One ship shouldn’t have given them so much trouble but then again, they rarely encountered superior technology.
The enemy’s use of power showed they were highly advanced but they also knew how to apply it. Those shields were nearly impenetrable and their little fighters were deadly. Ulian didn’t believe they were automated but he didn’t want to speculate what that meant exactly. Remote control was not the answer. It was definitely something else.
Morala leaned close, letting him know the shuttle had found a piece of debris big enough to do what they wanted. The crews were in place, attaching the warheads. Their estimated time to completion was less than ten minutes and the enemy would be in position within twenty so they were cutting it a bit close.
“We’ll have some directional control with the rock,” Morala said. “But not much. Once the shuttle gets it moving, we’ll be able to nudge with the warhead’s thrusters. I’d say a few degrees. Hopefully, they’ve never considered this particular tactic before. I sincerely doubt they’ll have a contingency plan.”
“They’ll probably just shoot at it,” Erda said.
“Possibly,” Ulian replied. “And if so, then we’ll need to get out of here. But if they don’t … Well, we’ll just have to see what happens next.”
As the Stalwart continued on, they remained far enough ahead to make any attacks useless. Beams weren’t overly efficient in a running battle but they could get the job done when one ship could overtake the other. While the enemy did have advantages, their engines were not as fast or efficient as the Pahxin design.
They closed in on the shuttle, Morala watching the tactical read out on her screen. “Shuttle one, I’m giving you a countdown of five … four … three … two … one. Fire your thrusters.”
Ulian turned his attention to the screen, watching as the shuttle po
wered up its engines and gave the rock a good shove. Once it was in motion, the warheads kicked in, giving it a little boost. The motion picked up speed, the momentum carrying it straight into the path of the enemy ship.
They didn’t even bother to turn their cannons in the direction of the rock and it slammed into the shields, causing the entire array to light up blue. The warheads detonated but not within the defenses of the enemy ship. Even so, their defenses flared and Viran slapped his console. “Their shields are down!”
“Fire everything,” Ulian ordered. “Hit them hard while they’re still down, Erda.”
Stalwart turrets turned and opened up, laying into the bow of their pursuer. The hull took the full brunt of the attack and micro explosions danced about the surface. Viran shook his head. “Minor damage … That metal is something else. Not quite armor … but there’s some kind of substance, the same thing that blocked our scans … It’s tough.”
“Keep firing.” Ulian stood up. “They can’t take it forever.”
Another two volleys hammered the vessel and it suddenly began to slow. “They’re altering course,” Erda said. “Heading back toward their original position. Do we give chase, sir?”
Ulian considered the question for a moment and shook his head. “No, we need to get to the Gnosis and see if they require assistance.”
Morala clenched her fist beside him. “Sir, begging your pardon but the enemy is at our mercy. We should not leave them to repair. We may not get another shot at taking them out if they restore their shields. They will certainly not make that mistake a second time.”
“Our primary mission is to check on the Earth vessel,” Ulian replied. “Don’t you think they require our attention more?”
“If we have to help them repair their ship, we cannot do so with this thing flying around.” Morala shook her head. “So no, I believe our primary mission is to secure this space then assist the humans.”
Ulian considered her comments and finally nodded. “Point taken. Erda, plot an intercept course and keep us tight with them. Have the shuttle rendezvous at our original coordinates. We’ll take out the enemy first.”
Erda turned them about and engaged the thrusters, bringing them back to full speed. The enemy had a bit of a head start but it wasn’t hard to catch up. “When you’re in range,” Ulian said, “open fire. If we hit their engines, perhaps we can disable their craft and go for a reactor kill.”
The weapons fired again, this time the front cannons as well. Blasting away at the engines, one of the two massive thrusters flashed then went dark. With only one left, they began to slow and Erda dropped the Stalwart down so they wouldn’t collide with their target. He didn’t let up, hitting them again until the ship stopped moving.
Fighters launched from the enemy ship, coming in for a harassing attack. “Don’t bother with them,” Morala said. “Continue hammering our primary target.”
As a seemingly last ditch effort, the enemy began to fire back, slapping the Stalwart’s shields. “Their power has decreased considerably,” Viran said. “Those blasts … They barely scratched the surface of our defenses. Their reactor is at ten percent of what it was when we first started the engagement.”
“Is it dropping?” Ulian asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Erda, pull us back,” Ulian ordered. “Now, get us as far away from that thing as you can. If it blows, that reactor still might have enough life in it to cause some serious damage.”
The Stalwart pulled back and turned, amidst the mini attacks from the fighters. Each of their attacks did little more than nudge the shields, not even getting through to cause a tremor near the decks they were after. As the Pahxin craft moved away, the fighters disengaged, their engines shutting down. The crafts themselves began to drift.
“Do you see that?” Morala pointed. “They’re … Are they giving up?”
“No,” Viran replied. “There’s no power left in any of them. They’re offline.”
“Maybe it’s not going to blow up after all,” Erda said. “It probably doesn’t have the juice to do more than whimper.”
“We’ll give them a moment to ensure they’re not playing dead,” Ulian said. “But if we don’t see any activity in a few moments, we need to move out. Keep me informed of your scans, Viran. We need a proof of defeat as soon as possible. I’m sure the Gnosis would like to get out of here sooner rather than later.”
***
Cassie continued to examine the tube, looking for anything which might give her a hint as to how to defeat these supposedly unbeatable aliens. Their telepathy made it seem impossible to do anything about the current situation. This wasn’t merely better technology, it was advanced evolution, a stage of development leaving humans and Pahxin way behind.
But there still has to be something we can do. I refuse to believe their rhetoric about no hope. Cassie struggled with a sense of naivety. She had to question the conflict raging in her heart. Were these beings creating the emotions she felt? Or did they merely predict them? How much control could they exert over thinking beings?
They’re so far beyond morality now they’ve forsaken it entirely. Watching people suffer and die for sport, to alleviate boredom was simply monstrous and that’s just what they’ve become. Monsters.
A loud beeping made her look up suddenly. Vincent called her name but she couldn’t hear what he said afterward over the shrill, rhythmic pulse. She stood, noting that the tube began to glow blue. A massive spark caught her in the stomach, sending her flying across the room. As she hit the floor and slid into the wall, she nearly blacked out from the pain.
Cassie’s spine complained when she connected with the stone and she rolled to her side, drawing her knees to her chest. Vincent joined her, running a quick scan before he touched her arm. “Hey! You’re okay, nothing’s broken. Can you hear me?”
“Yeah …” Cassie rasped, nodding her head. “It … shocked the hell out of me.”
“No …” The voice spoke, lacking all emotion but somehow there was still a hint of fear layered in the tone. “No. The vessel. They have caused catastrophic damage. Our ship. Our salvation never realized … stuck … damaged … ruined. How could they have done this? The surprise is … absolutely intoxicating!”
“We must absorb this,” the voice seemed to answer itself, carrying on a conversation. “Witness the battle again. The recordings are intact. We can experience it again and see how we failed. Oh, to fail again! We remember it as being bad but it feels wonderful. Like a narcotic of the soul.”
“This is getting weird,” Vincent said. “Gil? You got anything?”
Gil began to speak but Gorman interrupted. He looked ghastly, his skin pale and his eyes sunken in his head. Still, he managed to get to his knees and dislodged his pack. Two grenades sat in front of him and he armed each. “You guys … better go …”
“What the hell are you doing?” Vincent asked. “Just throw them and go.”
“You know that’s not going to work,” Gorman said. “Cassie got shocked by that shield. You don’t think they can get rid of these? I’ve got a plan but you need to get moving. Grab her and get out. Trust me. I’ll do my best to follow you out.”
“You damn well better, Sergeant!” Vincent shouted. “Gil, let’s go.”
“This is suicide,” Gil said to Gorman. “You do realize that.”
“I’m hoping not,” Gorman replied. “But if it happens … Well … Let’s hope I make a difference. You better hurry. These freaks aren’t going to be distracted with their failure for long and you probably should be on your way before stuff starts to blow up. At least, that’s what I usually like to say.”
“Come on.” Vincent picked Cassie up, making her wince. He ran for the stairs, each step causing her pain.
She had to be able to walk before they got to Heat. He needed more help than she did so she started flexing her legs. At the first landing, she tapped Vincent, demanding he let her down. He complied and she held the rail, climbing as quick
ly as she could. Every nerve ending tingled but she fought through the discomfort.
Heat looked up. “Where’s Gorman?”
“He’s taking care of something,” Vincent grunted, lifting the man up. He groaned as he hoisted Heat onto his shoulder. “You’re a heavy man, Sergeant. We’ve got to go.”
“We can’t go without him!” Heat shouted. “We have to go back!”
“I’ll explain to you why this happened later.” Vincent hustled toward the open door. “For now, I’ve got to get as many of us out of here alive as I can. Cassie, Gil … stay right with me. God knows if those doors are going to close on us and we do not want to be separated. Move fast and do not fall behind. This will probably get dangerous.”
***
Gorman watched them get to the stairs before popping both grenades and cooking them for two seconds. They had a five second total delay. Once he reached the halfway mark, he stumbled a few steps toward the strange tube then threw himself at it. Passing through a tingly field, he landed hard on the ground, extending both arms out over his head.
He almost reached the bottom of the unit and he shoved the grenades the last few feet. A beam of energy lifted him in the air and tossed him back, just as he’d seen happen to Cassie. But the grenades remained in place. He didn’t even hit the ground before the two explosions went off, causing massive cracks to appear in the unit.
Whatever happened to make it start talking about failure must’ve distracted them enough to make the damage work. The blue light became bright then a wide field went in all directions. Gorman hit the ground and slid into the wall, but the pain didn’t even register. He knew what was about to happen.
He had three seconds before it made contact with him and he drew a deep, painful breath. When the light hit his feet, he felt a surge of energy. It lasted half a moment, an excruciating few seconds that faded into a peaceful, silent blackness.
