The monitor zoomed in through the wreckage. Out near the rim of the system the section of ship was tumbling.
James watched it for a minute. He felt the telementor.
Londuo, he thought.
‘You know, James, that the Treitans would have found wreckage of that size,’ Kalrea said.
‘I want to have a look.’
The Aurora turned and slowly powered towards it.
‘It’s a section of the Rellopila: Engineering, reactor room, decks eight through to fifteen,’ Kalrea said.
‘Wasn’t the Rellopila missing after the attack on Dagnamk?’
‘Yes, it was.’
‘So what’s it doing here now?’
In the distance the wreckage of the Rellopila appeared. The large severed section was slowly tumbling end over end. The ends of torn cables sparked and a plume of plasma lit the trail of what was left of the ship. The starboard hull was intact; windows glinted in the light.
‘Well, Kalrea?’
‘It must have returned to Brinoli before the attack; if not it wouldn’t have known the rendezvous location. I can’t scan the interior. The leaking plasma is stronger than usual for a destroyer. It’s interfering with the scanners. I’m trying to re-calibrate sensitivity.’
The port side of the Rellopila tumbled into view. In the centre were three large plasma holes. A large area of the hull was charcoal black.
‘I still can’t scan it. The Treitan wouldn’t have been able to, either. Those holes you see are where the emergency life support systems would have been. They were made after the Rellopila was destroyed, to ensure no one could survive.’
‘Try sending a signal.’
‘AURORA TO RELLOPILA, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE.’
There was no reply.
‘There may not be any air left,’ Kalrea said.
James felt the telementor once more.
‘Londuo’s onboard, Kalrea.’
‘How do you know that?’
‘I don’t know. I just have a feeling.’
‘James, I still believe she’s alive, but she was supposed to be stationed on the Lonori. Why would she be on the Rellopila?’
The Aurora moved slowly in the direction of the tumbling Rellopila. James concentrated on looking through the windows.
‘There,’ he said suddenly. ‘I thought I just saw someone.’
The wreckage tumbled over.
‘Next time the starboard side comes into view, I want you to keep the Aurora in line with the Rellopila’s rotation. I’m sure there was someone looking from one of the windows; towards the rear of the ship.’
The starboard side of the Rellopila came into view once more. James quickly glanced at each of the windows.
‘I could have sworn I saw a figure.’
‘It was probably a reflection; smoke or fallen cables.’
‘I’m sorry, Kalrea,’ James said, resting his back on the seat. ‘I really wanted Londuo to be there. I have to find her.’
‘I understand.’
‘Take us out of here.’
‘James, I don’t believe this! Londuo’s bracelet has just been activated. It’s coming from the Rellopila.’
‘She is onboard!’
‘I don’t like this,’ Kalrea sounded concerned.
‘Look, there’s a clamping station. Can we dock with it, Kalrea?’
‘There’s no power to engage the clamps. I would have to hold the ship against the Rellopila.’ Kalrea said.
‘I’m going—’
Kalrea interrupted.
‘It’s too dangerous! The telementor does not have the capability to deal with the level of interference being created by the plasma. Once you are in the Rellopila, you’ll be out of contact. I’ll be unable to protect you!’
‘But the bracelet has been activated?’
‘James, it’s not possible for the bracelet to be able to send a signal with all that interference, and it’s too much of a coincidence that it has been activated right now!’
‘But she may have only just found a way.’
‘It has all the signs of being a trap, James.’
‘You’re probably right, Kalrea, but I have to go. If there’s a chance that Londuo is alive.’
‘Can’t you see they want you out of contact from me, so I can’t protect you?’
‘Kalrea, I have to try, even if that’s true. I must know what happened to her. I can look after myself. You were concerned about me on Brinoli, whilst you were shielded in the hangar. I was all right, wasn’t I?’
‘But this is different.’
‘Is it?’
‘James, this is a lot different and don’t pretend it’s not! Your life is in danger. I cannot allow that.’
‘Kalrea, you can’t stop me!’
‘There’s a signal coming in from the Rellopila,’ Kalrea said.
A crackling voice of a man came over the address system.
‘I can’t make him out. Can you try to clean that up, Kalrea?’
The voice cleared enough to understand, but the plasma was interfering with the communication system.
‘Rellopila to Aurora. Can… you hear me? Please… acknowledge. Rellopila—’
‘Receiving,’ James felt excited.
His adrenalin was flowing.
‘James… Is that you, James?’ the voice suddenly came through more clearly. ‘It’s me. Antaio.’
‘Antaio, thank Atui someone’s alive.’
James, what’s Antaio doing on the Rellopila; he was on Brinoli, Kalrea said in James’ head, so Antaio could not hear her.
‘Antaio, what happened? How did you end up on the Rellopila?’
‘When the Lonori was destroyed we were ordered to the Rellopila.’
He paused.
‘Sorry, the air’s getting a bit thin.’
He paused, again.
‘We were repairing the fighters when we were hit badly. James, the air’s almost gone. I have ten wounded over here.’
James, he’s lying, Kalrea said. I can sense it in his voice. He’s in security, why would he be repairing fighters?
James knew there was something not right with Antaio, but his only concern was for Londuo.
‘Is Londuo all right?’ he asked Antaio.
‘Yes, but she’s hurt—’
James interrupted.
‘We’re going to dock with you. We’ll pressurise the hull.’
James, this is a trap. I don’t trust him, Kalrea said. I cannot allow you to go!
Start the docking procedure, Kalrea, James thought sternly.
‘Antaio, can you get to the clamping station?’
‘There’s only emergency lighting in this area. We can’t find a way through… I’ve tried… Too many blast doors have been closed. We’re near the engineering section on level twenty-six. I’ll try to—’
The transmission stopped abruptly.
James looked at the Rellopila before moving to the pojin lift. The door remained closed.
‘Kalrea!’
‘James, your life is in great danger; I cannot protect you while you’re on the Rellopila!’
‘Kalrea, don’t you see? Everyone’s gone; they’re all dead! My life means nothing without Londuo! You know how I feel about her. For that reason I’m asking you to let me go. Please!’
Kalrea did not reply.
James continued but was starting to get agitated.
‘I know you have to protect me, Kalrea, but I would rather die than stay here and do nothing. You leave me no choice. You told me you had to obey me, so I order you to open these doors, Kalrea!’
‘If you go, James, we do this my way!’ Kalrea said.
‘Take what precautions you need, Kalrea. Now open this bloody door!’
The lift door opened.
James walked into the lift.
‘Before you go you’ll need a komputronic release key to open the blast doors, but you’ll also need to check the other side of the door. Open a compartment that’s not sealed from space and you’l
l save no one!’
James shook his head before walking back onto the bridge.
‘Do we have such a key?’ James asked, realising he needed to calm down.
‘I’m reconfiguring one of the micnorit nuronic drones. It will have the specific job of checking and opening the doors for you. You will be unable to give it instructions. I also want you to take some protection,’ Kalrea said.
A small panel opened in the wall of the bridge. James walked over and took out two small hand laser pistols. One was inserted into a small leather-like holder.
‘Strap the one in the holder to your leg, just above your ankle,’ Kalrea said. ‘They all have built-in lights.’
James strapped the holder to his leg. He then aimed the other pistol at the far wall.
‘Use it like a torch. It will lock onto a target automatically. I’ve also attached another pistol on the back of the drone. You’ll need to ascend two levels from the clamping station. None of the pojin lifts onboard the Rellopila will be working,’ Kalrea explained.
James felt a jolt, indicating that the Aurora was now in contact with the Rellopila.
‘Have you had any success in being able to scan the interior of the Rellopila?’ James asked.
‘No.’ Kalrea said. ‘If I boost my signal, I believe I’ll be able to talk to you, but you won’t be able to reply.’
James entered the pojin lift.
‘James, please be careful; trust no one!’
Chapter Thirty-Six
The lift door opened and a rush of air entered into the Rellopila.
James held the pistol in front of him and peered out, his heart pounding. He shivered, feeling the coldness of space on his face, and a wisp of vapour formed when he exhaled.
The light from his pistol illuminated a long narrow corridor. The only other light was from a sparking control panel on the right wall in the distance. It lit up the outline of a closed blast door at the far end of the corridor. Cables were dangling from the ceiling, casting eerie shadows as they swung with the motion of the ship, which creaked and groaned. The air was full of a strong smell of burning plastic.
James walked slowly from the lift. The buzz of the micnorit nuronic drone behind him almost made him jump and his heart quickened.
Kalrea? James thought instinctively, but there was no response. I don’t like this.
He walked nervously along the corridor, occasionally glancing back towards the lift, crouching and pushing aside the cables to reach the blast door. He looked down at the drone, which had already connected to a computer access panel, to the left-hand side of the door.
James was just about to wipe the condensation from a small window in the door, when a sharp mechanical click startled him. The door very quickly retracted to the right. Cold air rushed passed him.
James shut his eyes for a second.
‘Shit! Whose side are you on?’ he said, shivering and looking down at the drone.
He edged through the door and looked quickly around, waving the pistol from side to side. He was now in a stairwell, which was slowly filling with smoke rising from the decks below. Suddenly, Kira ran by him.
‘What the— Kira! Come back.’ James said, his voice echoing around the stairwell.
He looked up the first flight of stairs.
I’m on level twenty-four; section thirty-two, he thought.
‘Kira!’
Where the hell did you come from!
James headed slowly up the stairwell towards level twenty-six, where he noticed some emergency light through the windows of two of the blast doors. He moved to the nearest and looked quickly through the window, before the drone could have time to open it. There, just inside the room, were floating a severed arm and the bloated bodies of over fifteen people. Spheres of blood drifted slowly in the void. One impacted on the window just in front of him.
James felt a lump in his throat. He turned away and leant against the wall trying to restrain himself from vomiting.
No… What a… way to die.
He vomited over the floor.
James composed himself, before walking over to the other blast door, which was the entrance to a corridor. This time he stood back while the drone accessed the door mechanism. It opened.
At the end of the long dimly lit corridor there was another closed blast door. A third way along the corridor, he heard a male voice coming from a side room.
James slowly moved towards the voice, holding the pistol with both hands. He arrived at an open door from where the voice was coming and peered nervously through it. He was aware of Kira now walking alongside him. He saw Antaio standing in front of Londuo, who was sitting on the floor against the far wall.
As soon as Londuo saw him she shouted.
‘James, it’s a trap. Get—’
Antaio struck her in the face. She slumped to one side, unconscious.
‘You bastard!’ James shouted, his adrenaline pumping.
He raised the pistol and pointed it at Antaio.
I’m going to kill you, he thought.
Kira growled at Antaio.
‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you,’ Antaio said calmly, turning slowly towards him, whilst pointing a laser pistol at Londuo.
James stood, shaking, He was sure Antaio could hear his heart pounding.
Shit! Please don’t kill Londuo!
‘Well?’ Antaio said. ‘Fire and she dies.’
James lowered his weapon.
‘Place it on the table to your left… Slowly!’ Antaio ordered.
James moved cautiously over to it and rested the laser pistol in the centre of the table.
‘Good! Now move back,’ Antaio said.
As soon as James was far enough away from the table, Antaio fired a single shot at the pistol. It glowed red for a second and dissolved away. He then pointed his pistol at James. Antaio smiled smugly and then he fired in the direction of the door. James glanced back to see the micnorit nuronic drone glowing before disappearing.
Londuo was now regaining consciousness.
James noticed Antaio had an earpiece in his right ear and was speaking to someone. He heard him clearly saying, ‘target secured,’ and he was sure he was referring to himself.
Londuo moaned, ‘James!’
Antaio struck her again.
Suddenly Kira sprinted towards Antaio, growling as she ran. She jumped towards him, claws drawn. Antaio turned and kicked out, striking her. She went flying across the floor, colliding with the table. She lay motionless.
At the same moment, James tried to move toward Antaio, but he froze when Antaio pointed his pistol at him.
‘I’ll kill you,’ Antaio said. ‘One more step and I’ll kill you.’
James looked down at Londuo. Her head moved. He looked at Antaio, who gestured with the pistol for James to approach her, but as he moved toward Londuo, Antaio suddenly stopped him.
‘Now, that’s not very hospitable of you, James. Take out the other pistol… And don’t say “what pistol?”’
James bent down.
This is not going well.
He glanced over to Kira.
Kira’s not moving.
‘Wait! Do it slowly,’ Antaio ordered. ‘Keep your hand where I can see it.’
James nervously pulled the pistol from its holder.
Do I try to kill him? No that’s a stupid idea. He’ll kill you in a blink of an eye.
James felt no longer in control of the situation.
‘That’s far enough… Drop it.’
James released the pistol and stood up.
He may still kill me.
James had never felt so frightened. Suddenly, Antaio gripped the trigger of his pistol firmly. James could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.
Shit, don’t kill me, please!
Antaio smiled smugly at James, before waving his pistol again to invite James to move towards Londuo.
He didn’t kill me.
James walked quickly over to her.
&
nbsp; James felt some relief, but fearfully looked to Antaio, who was now picking up James’ pistol.
‘You… should not have come, James,’ Londuo said.
‘What has he done to you? Let me see your face,’ James said.
He ripped a sleeve from his uniform and knelt alongside her.
Blood was smeared on her forehead, and the right side of her face was grazed. He wiped it gently with the torn piece of material.
Kalrea was right. Why didn’t I listen to Kalrea? You idiot!
‘Ah!’ Londuo cried out.
She rested her head against the wall.
‘I can’t leave you five minutes, can I, before you’re in some sort of trouble?’ James said, trying to smile.
Londuo embraced him. She held him tight, her head on his shoulders.
James. A Treitan carrier and four cruisers have appeared on the scanners. It’s time to go, Kalrea’s voice said in James’ head.
I wish we could, James thought, knowing that Kalrea couldn’t hear him.
‘James, everyone’s dead,’ Londuo said sadly. ‘They captured me, to get to you. They want the Aurora.’
‘That’s enough!’ Antaio said. ‘No more talking!’
He pointed the laser pistol at them.
Suddenly in the doorway appeared two Treitans. They slithered into the room. One was carrying a laser rifle, the other some electronic restraints. They spoke to Antaio in a high pitched squeal.
James? Kalrea said. I can’t defend myself whilst I’m attached to the Rellopila. They’re almost in firing range.
‘Take off that Tele… thing,’ Antaio said, pointing the pistol at the telementor on James’ wrist. ‘Throw it here!’
James undid the telementor and threw it across the floor. The nearest Treitan picked it up with one of its tentacles.
‘Why, Antaio?’ James said. ‘Why you?’
‘Destroying our base was a big mistake,’ Antaio said. ‘We were tolerant of the occasional annoyance your race posed to us but then the Aurora came along… as it did in the beginning. Now all your ships have been destroyed, and what’s left of your race will be hunted down.’
He smiled smugly.
‘We had our doubts that you’d bring the Aurora to us… But thanks to your love for this other creature the ship’s now ours.’
Antaio turned away.
‘Antaio, you’re one of us,’ James said. ‘They’ve changed you. Can’t you fight it?’
The Aurora (Aurora Saga, Book 1) Page 32
