Dimension Lapse II: Return to Doomsday (Dimension Lapse Series Book 2)

by Nicholas Davis

  "How is the wife?" Jeff asked him.

  "Okay," he answered.

  "And the kids?"

  "They're fine. You know I lost Jeremy to the Martian attack."

  "Yes, I remember," Jeff said. "How's Sarah?"

  "She's okay, dealing with it."

  "Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?"

  "I can't tell you here, wait until we get upstairs." They entered the elevator to the next floor.

  "What's with all the cloak and dagger nonsense?"

  "Please, Jeff, don't ask me anymore until we get there."

  "Fair enough," Jeff answered, they exited the elevator, and walked down the hall to the conference room.

  When they entered, they were greeted by a familiar face to Jeff. It was Balar, President of the Council of the Galactic Republic of Peaceful Civilizations, who had given him the medal a year and a half before.

  "We meet again, Mr. Walker," he said, and outstretched his hand. Jeff shook it, as he stared into his blue eyes. His grayish black beard hadn't changed much, just a little more gray, and he was still bald on top. He lost a little weight, however, perhaps twenty pounds.

  "Good to see you again, Balar, " Jeff said. "To what great privilege do we owe your presence?"

  "Sit down, we have much to discuss, " he said, and the three of them sat at the conference table. "You are aware that Balta may still be alive?"

  "Yes, John told me. He also told me that he has fusion reactors in his possession?"

  "That is correct, " Balar said. "What he didn't tell you is that Akros had a daughter."

  "A daughter?" Jeff asked. "Okay, so how does that affect me? I'm sure that he left his daughter back in the past, on Earth."

  "We don't know that for sure," John added. "There's a distinct possibility that he may have brought her through with him somehow. Her mother died from a disease years before."

  "Wouldn't she have married and started her own family?"

  "She may have, " Balar said. "We just don't know."

  "So I ask again, how does that affect me?"

  "His daughter is the key to the Tolarions regenerating their race. With her genes, they can regenerate, and Avery was also the only one who knew the formula, other than the Zacharians, to the Triachilite. If he gave it to her, and the Tolarions were to get it-"

  "It sounds like a lot of ifs to me!" Jeff yelled. "You don't have any proof that she passed through, do you?"

  "Well, " Balar said. "No, not yet. It is, however, most peculiar that a fleet would be attacked after all this time. We also picked up a transmission from the planet Tolaria to the Starlighter before the incident, from someone who stated they were from the Tolarian base."

  "That's impossible, " Jeff said. "After that explosion, there couldn't have been any survivors!"

  "Apparently there were," Balar said. "And they're either still there, or they're with Balta. And his daughter could be one of them."

  "So what do you want me to do?"

  "Their last known position was near the boundary line of the Tolarion sector and our sector of space. Their heading is unknown, but it is believed that they are heading towards Garlicia."

  "Garlicia?" Jeff asked. "What's there?"

  "Triachilite, "Balar said. "And allies to the Tolarions."

  "Our mission is to stop them before we get there, right?"

  "Yes," Balar said. "That's our mission. Yours is to infiltrate the compound on Garlicia, and destroy the facility. You will meet with an unnamed Garlician spy, a Garlicia spy working for us."

  "What about Balta?"

  "We'll deal with Balta, " Balar said. "He hasn't reached Garlicia yet. We plan to intercept him before he does. You will be flying a stolen Garlician ship, as to not attract attention."

  "Always a stolen ship," Jeff muttered. "How am I supposed to read the controls? Do the Garlicians speak English?"

  "Some do, but most do not, " Balar said. "But we have modified the controls with an onboard guide."

  "Why am I going alone this time?"

  "You're not," Carver said. "I'm going with you."

  "What's the matter, John? "Jeff asked. "Don't you trust me to get the job done?"

  "No," Carver said. "It's not that. I just want to be with you to make sure you get back in one piece. I owe Lori that much. And I want you as far away from Balta as possible."

  "How do you even know he's on that ship?"

  "We don't, " Balar said.

  "Sounds to me like you don't know much. A few ships are attacked with a fusion weapon, and you automatically assume it's Balta. How do you know it isn't the Garlicians?"

  "In a Tolarion vessel?" Carver asked.

  "It may have been the survivors from Tolaria."

  "The transmission came from the Tolarion base," Balar reiterated. "And the ship answered by name-the Starlighter. Balta's ship."

  "If that's true, " Jeff stated. "How do you know he won't use the weapon on this ship?"

  "We are prepared for that." Balar said. "We have enough weaponry onboard to annihilate his ship."

  "How am I supposed to destroy the base?"

  "You will have twenty five fusion reacted grenades, and plant them throughout the facility," Balar said.

  "What if we're caught?"

  "Then we say nothing, pray that they don't kill us, and try not to piss them off," Carver sighed.

  "No backup troops?"

  "No backup troops," Carver said. "We'll be totally on our own."

  "While your ship stops Balta?" Jeff asked.

  "Yes," Balar answered.

  "I don't think you can stop him," Jeff said. "Even with a battle cruiser."

  "You seem to have lost faith in us," Balar said, and scratched his beard. "Haven't we kept your people and friends safe so far?"

  "Yes, but that was before I knew Balta might still be alive," Jeff barked. "John, what do you know about Avery's daughter?"

  "Not much, " he said. "She was a scientist as well, and also worked with her father. In the salvaged Martian records, she disappeared around the same time he did."

  "So you think she followed him through?"

  "Most likely, " Carver answered. "The records shows that NASA built two such ships, and neither one was authorized to be deployed, or ever heard from again."

  "Well," Jeff surmised. "If she is still alive, that could be a problem. By now she probably knows her father was killed, and she'll want to know why. She may try to get that information from Balta, and he will blame me. And then she'll be after me. How old is she?"

  "About twenty one or two," Carver said.

  "Just a kid. You'll probably have to kill her as well."

  "No one is to be killed, " Balar said. "We'll take her alive, just as we're going to take Balta alive. He is sure to surrender when he sees he's outmatched."

  "If you think you're going to take him alive, you're crazy!" Jeff quipped. "He'll destroy his own ship before he lets you do that."

  "Hopefully we can disable it enough to board it before he does that," Balar explained.

  "Well, good luck with that one! What was the daughter's name, John?"

  "Angelica."

  "Angelica," Jeff repeated. "That's a pretty name. It's a shame that you'll probably have to kill her."

  "I repeat, no one is to be killed, "Balar said. "Other than those on Garlicia. We have to stop this war before it starts."

  "Let me know when you catch up with the Starlighter," Jeff said. "I want to see you take him 'alive.' Is there anything else I need to know?"

  "Anything else we'll tell you on a need to know basis," Carver said.

  "Well, gentlemen," Jeff said, and rose from the table. "If there is nothing else, I have a wife who skipped a honeymoon to come with me, and I owe her at least a couple hours of my time. I'll be in our quarters if you need me. John, just exactly where are they?"

  "Up a floor, down the corridor to the left. Yours is the last one on the left."

  "Thanks, " he said. "See you later."

  Carver n
odded, and Jeff left the room. Balar turned towards Carver.

  "Is he going to be a problem?" Balar asked.

  "No, " Carver answered. "He may do things a little unorthodox sometimes, but I have faith he'll follow through."

  "I hope you're right, " Balar said. "I need his expertise, but I don't need him to get too emotionally involved."

  "Understood, " Carver said. "I'll keep an eye on him." A transmission came through the conference room intercom.

  "Captain Carver," it said.

  "Carver here."

  "There appears to be a burst of gamma rays coming from the Demiaha galaxy in our direction. The path is angled far enough away to cause only minimal damage, but it could wreak a little havoc on some of our systems."

  "As long as our defenses aren't compromised."

  "They shouldn't be, Sir. It will happen in about three hours.""

  "Very well. Any reports of damage to other vessels or bases in our sector?"

  "Only minor, Sir."

  "Very well, I'll be up to the bridge shortly. Out."

  "Another problem?" Balar asked.

  "It should be a little bit of a rough ride, but I think we'll make it through."

  "Let's hope so," Balar said.

  While Carver went to the bridge, Jeff made sure his two friends stayed put in their room. They were there, but were extremely bored.

  "What are we supposed to do here?" Dormiton asked. "We can't go fishing, or pick berries. We can't move around or anything."

  "I didn't ask you to come along, you insisted," Jeff reminded them. "Now you're stuck with it. John is trying to find you both jobs that you can do on the ship. We'll meet him later on at dinner."

  "Why don't you want our help?" Milgic asked. "If it weren't for us, you would have died."

  "How do I explain this so you'll understand? I've put all of our lives in jeopardy too many times before. This is something I have to do on my own. There is no room for error."

  "Can't we do something to help you?"

  "Stay on this ship, and don't sneak on board any other one again. Understand?"

  "Yes, Sir," they both answered.

  "I've got to get ready for dinner with Balar and Captain Carver. You better do the same. Lori and I will speak on your com when we're ready." With that, he left the room.

  He then went next door to his and Lori's room. When he entered, she sat on the bed crying. Jeff knelt down, and took her by the hand.

  "What's wrong, Honey?" he asked.

  "This is all my fault," she sobbed, as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

  "What do you mean?"

  "If I told George to keep an eye on the two of them, they wouldn't have gotten on board. Now you're going to go off by yourself, and I'm stuck on this giant ship by myself!"

  "It's just too dangerous, Honey," Jeff explained. "I don't want any of us to get killed, if I can help it."

  "Who's going to make sure you don't get killed?"

  "John's going with me. That's all I can tell you at this point."

  "John?" she questioned. "That's hardly a reassurance."

  "We'll be fine. I intend on coming back. I still owe you that honeymoon. Maybe after this is over, we can find a planet or moon somewhere close and stay for a week or two. The Republic owes me that much."

  "I'm scared that you won't come back," she cried.

  "I'll be back, if I have to kill ten thousand Tolarions to do it! Let's just try to enjoy our last dinner together before I have to go, okay?"

  "Okay," she said, and smiled at him. He smiled back, gave her a passionate kiss, and leaned her back onto the bed. "Gonna get a little appetizer before dinner?"

  "Why not," Jeff answered. Just as they were lying there, the ship shook for a few seconds. The two lay on the bed in confusion. "What the hell was that?"

  The lingworts ran into the room in fear.

  "We have angered the Gods!" Milgic screamed as he ran towards the bed, and grabbed Jeff's leg. Dormiton was scared, but knew by now that the old superstitions on Ventros didn't apply here.

  "Relax, " Jeff said, as he and Lori sat up. "It's probably an asteroid belt or something. The deflectors will take care of it."

  He went over and pressed the intercom button on the wall.

  "Captain Carver?"

  "Yes, Jeff, " he answered.

  "What's going on up there?"

  "Nothing to worry about," he answered. "Just some minor gamma ray interference. It will pass shortly. I'll see you at the banquet hall in ten minutes."

  "Okay, we'll do, " Jeff said, and turned to his friends. "You heard him, Guys, ten minutes!"

  "Yes, Sir, " Dormiton said, and grabbed Milgic's arm to leave.

  He could see that the two of them wanted to be alone, even if it was just for a few minutes. They exited the room, and the two lovers continued their quick tryst.

  The Executive banquet hall was one hundred feet long and seventy five feet wide, had seating for eighty, was a dull gray color, and rather bland. A podium was at one end of the room, in front of a large viewing screen, and all the tables were permanently fixed to the floor. One table was set up with various meats and vegetables, some that were foreign to the two lingworts. Dormiton gave Milgic a strange look of disgust at some kind of meat the humans called beef. It was red and bloody, and the Lingworts couldn't understand why it wasn't cooked well like the roast boar on the island.

  The battle cruiser was usually used for delegates who were traveling between worlds; a massive vessel was needed to ensure the security of the council members. At the current moment, however, it was being used for military reasons, and Balar was the only council member who was on board. There were, however, several high ranking officers also eating with them. The party each got their selected food, and found their place at the table. As they sat down, there was another shaking of the ship, this one a little stronger, and knocked a couple of glasses off the large table.

  Jeff looked at John, as if to say he told you so, and he just smiled. "Just interference," he laughed. "We'll be fine."

  "That one was worse than the last one," Dormiton exclaimed.

  "They will get gradually worse for the next hour or so," John told them. "We'll be all right though. This ship is built to shield any dangerous energy fields."

  "I don't see Balar," Jeff said. "Isn't he joining us?"

  "His part of the mission here is done. He's returned to Sentros."

  "He bailed out just when it was getting interesting, " Jeff remarked. "That makes me feel even better."

  "Still the skeptic, heh, Jeff?"

  "Just cautious as always," he said, and took a bite of his roast beef. "I was a little careless last time, and it almost cost my life a few times."

  "What can you tell us about the mission?" Lori asked.

  John grew a little upset with her question.

  "Lori, this isn't the time or place to discuss this," he said.

  "Sorry, " Lori said, offended. "I just wanted to know a little about where we're going."

  "I can discuss the world and its people, but that's it," John answered. "Anything else is classified."

  "Well, tell us about that then," Jeff said, and calmed Lori with a hug of his left arm.

  "Garlicia orbits the sun Marlon I, one of two red dwarves in a binary system," John explained. "Garlicia is the third and farthest planet from it. The surface temperature is roughly 60 degrees, and the atmosphere is Oxygen-Nitrogen based. The air is thinner than Ventros, even thinner than Earth was. The gravity is about the same as Earth's, however, and the planet is about the same size as Venus."

  "What about the people?" Milgic asked.

  "The people," John sighed. "If you want to call them that, are red, six to eight feet tall, have green eyes and are covered with spines on their skin."

  "Spines?" Milgic asked in disbelief.

  "Yes," John answered. "They also wear heavy armor with spikes as well. They are a war-like people, in league with the Tolarions. That's about all I can say."


  "That's enough," Lori said, and grabbed Jeff's arm. "Jeff, I'm worried, what happens if you're captured?"

  "Then they'll question him, torture him, and then kill him. In that order, " John answered.

  "You can't do it," Lori said. "I won't let you."

  "I'll be all right," Jeff said. "John will be with me. Is anybody else going with us, John?"

  "Yes, four other operatives, two will remain on board the scout ship."

  Another jolt rocked the ship, and this time, the power seemed to go dead for a minute.

  "What the hell!" John said, and ran to the intercom. "Lieutenant, what's going on up there?"

  "Gamma ray interference, Sir," the lieutenant said. '"That was the last of it, Sir, but I'm afraid it's damaged the weapons system."

  "The engineer assured me that wouldn't happen."

  "Apparently, the last one was a little stronger than we expected."

  "Understood," Carver said. "I'll be up to the bridge shortly. Out." He turned to Jeff and his friends. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave. A Captain's work is never done."

  "Which makes me ask, why would the Republic send you with me to Garlicia?" Jeff asked. "A Captain of a battle cruiser?"

  John smiled at Lori and Jeff, and pressed the button to open the door.

  "Somebody's got to keep you out of trouble, " he said.

  "Besides, I owe that much to you for interrupting your wedding."

  The others looked at one another upon his departure, as if they had gotten into more than they could handle. The impending reminder they might meet a fleet of Garlician ships soon, and that this so called "battle cruiser" would face them weaponless, wasn't a prospect they were looking forward to, and it certainly wasn't what they signed up for.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The Starlighter edged its way towards Matari, and Cely was still trying to override the weapons control system. Rollings navigated, and learned the heading he must follow was away from the Marlon system and toward the Republic's region of space. If they had enough time, it would almost seem there was a chance at outrunning the Garlicians. Angelica gave up on interrogating her prisoner and focused on helping Cely on the bridge. Malone sat quiet at one of the other stations.