The Definitive SpaceFed Trilogy (SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy).: A thrilling, action-packed Sci-fi space adventure. (SpaceFed StarShips Series Book 8)

by Gerry A. Saunders

  When the shuttle had come to a halt outside Andromeda’s holding bay, a large walkway extended automatically from the shuttle’s hull, completely sealing the holding bay’s doorway. Once secured and pressurized, the door opened. The crew then transferred to the Andromeda, taking their own luggage with them. Then, the holding bay door closed. The shuttle then disengaged and retracted its walkway, enabling the shuttle to move away, turn and head for the dock complex.

  Once inside the Andromeda, everyone went to their individual cabins to unpack and make themselves comfortable, before accessing their computers to study their itineraries.

  Frank hurried to his cabin and put his gear away. Then excitedly tapped his computer comms screen, and an image of an eye appeared.

  He looked directly in the eye, on the screen, saying, “Captain Frank Richardson. Omega3, Epsilon5, T20, 63, B8. Activate now.”

  He waited, then almost passed out, as Andromeda's emotions flooded his implant.

  “You're back. You’re back, Frank,” came her voice, sounding full of joy at their reunion.

  “Good grief, Andromeda. You missed me that much?”

  “Yes. It was like being trapped in a cell with no one real to talk to. It was horrible, a nightmare!”

  “Well, I'm back, and now the fun starts.”

  “Thank you, Frank. It's good to feel your presence again.”

  “OK, Andromeda, from now on you can call me Frank, except when we’re in conference mode, of course. You'd better begin by giving me our itinerary, then an update on your status,” he said, impatiently.

  “It's a heavy schedule,” she replied.

  “Well, ship’s trials start Monday at eleven. All vessels will carry out a synchronised Skippa sub-light drive test over two hundred thousand kilometres.

  Each ship will have an escort tug, in case someone needs a tow back to the spacedock.”

  “The guys in charge aren’t very confident about the refits, are they?”

  “No,” she agreed with a chuckle, then continued.

  “The picket ships will verify their accuracy, then sort any bugs out.”

  “Right. Tuesday?”

  “Ship’s stealth capability test. With the picket vessels, checking every ship’s stealth accuracy.

  Then a repeat test, with them checking the stealth drone’s performance.

  Followed by efficiency tests of the stealth drone skin’s cloaking. Then of the drone’s optics.

  The day finishing with tests on the new two-way AV comms link, using the Hypernet system.”

  “It is indeed a busy schedule,” Frank agreed. “What’s on Wednesday?”

  “General weapons testing. Plus, tube stability tests for the Antimatter weapon on ships fitted with it.

  On Thursday, there’ll be tests on the warp and wormhole generation. Including a one light-year jump, out and back. Obviously, accuracy will be paramount.

  Then, it’s ship familiarisation day on Friday. Followed by a rest period, and the issue of final orders.”

  “Well, that seems to cover everything. Thanks.”

  “But, don’t you want to know my status as well, Frank?”

  “Why? You’ve told me everything I need to know,” he replied, grinning.

  “You’re still as cheeky as ever,” Andromeda answered, getting the last word in.

  Monday morning and the Skippa sub-light drive test started. With the ships lining up with their tug escorts. The picket ships having already gone ahead to the end-point of the skip.

  Each ship’s computer then synchronised their own ‘Skip’, and all of them surged ahead. Reaching their picket ships, in moments.

  “Andromeda, how did we do?”

  “We were fine. But the Javelin lost power. She’s waiting to be towed back by her tug.”

  A voice message then came in from the trials controller, courtesy of Andromeda’s link.

  “Well done! Will all of you, except the Javelin, please return to your stations as soon as you receive the route plans that I’m sending you.

  I’m afraid your ship will have to do the run again later, Captain Winston,” he said, ending his message.

  “Andromeda. How close to the speed of light did we get? It's not showing on my pad.”

  “It’s classified information actually, but nearly 70 percent.”

  “OK, it will be our secret,” he replied, chuckling.

  “But, that’s really excellent. No more photon drives lighting up the sky, then?”

  “No. The photon drives did make us an easy target, advertising our location…

  Ah, we can return to the station now Frank. I’ve received our designated route.

  The three ships turned. Waited for the Execute code, then using their Skippa drive again, returned to their allotted parking slots close to the orbital station.

  Once parked in orbit, everyone relaxed. Later that day, after having completed her skip test successfully. Javelin also returned to her parking slot.

  On Tuesday, the stealth skin and cloaking capabilities of the ships were assessed. With the verification ships each mapping, the reflective index from different angles and reference zero being entirely invisible. It was a lengthy process, producing index scores of between one and three percent.

  Then, the drone's stealth skin and stealth optics capabilities were tested. The surface index scores were between point three and point five percent. Slightly better than those of the ships. With the stealth optics, cloaking scoring around point one percent.

  Finally, they tested the new two-way audio and video comms link for each ship, using a communication's buoy and the ship’s hypernet system.

  The test, comprised of the StarShip jumping three hundred million kilometres. Then, generating a small wormhole and keeping it open long enough to send the communications buoy back and partly through it.

  With the buoy, then having enough of its own power to complete the journey back to the original position of the StarShip.

  On their tests, the new system worked well, providing high-speed communications links, which sent both audio and video.

  Initially, the trial controllers had wanted a stealth drone that was able to communicate directly with its mother ship when on the planet's surface, not just hovering above it. But Drones were unable to do this at present. As, to hover, a drone would need lift jets, thus nullifying its stealth capability. So another solution had to be found.

  Because of this shortcoming in its design, one of Andromeda’s drones had now been sent down to the systems experimental dome on Mars, for modifications to be made to meet this remit.

  With everyone finishing late on Tuesday, they were all glad that the next day’s tests wouldn't start till noon.

  Wednesday and testing began on the ships weapons, including the Antimatter weapon’s tube stability on the relevant vessels.

  With the now approved, ‘Skippa sub-light’ drive being used to take the ships out to the firing range some twenty thousand kilometres from Mars. And a large asteroid and an old Starship, being the targets.

  Testing went well, with every ship’s weapons exceeding the minimum standard. The crews finished early for a change and made good use of their free time.

  Thursday. Both warp creation and wormhole generation tests, again, went better than expected. The accuracy of each ship’s jump of one light year and back again was exemplary in every case. Added to which, an early start meant another early finish, leaving the crews feeling good.

  On Friday, each ship’s crew familiarised themselves with the layout of their own ship. This was very popular as they could see areas of the ship they wouldn’t usually visit.

  Frank, being in the same situation, also took the opportunity to have a closer look around Andromeda.

  Especially the engineering department, where he found several new and fully automated machines dominating the area.

  He was surprised at the increased size of the unit and wondered if the cost could actually be justified.

  Then though
t well it would at least mean that if a part were required to be made or modified, it could now be fabricated very quickly, as long as Andromeda had the design template.

  After ship familiarisation, the crew took their rest time, and the ships were issued with their final orders.

  Later, Andromeda's drone returned from the systems experimental dome on Mars after having been modified to allow it to land on planet surfaces. It also responded to a new designation, Echo 23.

  “Frank,” Andromeda said. “A call has just come in. There is to be a linked meeting for all ship captains and the Federation's high command. At six, this evening, our time.”

  “OK.” He looked at the chronometer.

  “Only two hours. Make sure anything new is uploaded to my tactical pad. Oh, and make sure that the ‘All-Crew’ broadcasting system will be ready for me to use when and if I need it.”

  Chapter 9

  The Other Place.

  They were half way towards the inaccessible part at the end of the cavern, when suddenly, they heard a voice behind them saying, “Who are you?”

  Bren's heart sank. ‘It’s too late, now,’ he thought. They both still held their blasters in their hands, but having seen what happened when a human was shot by the alien's weapons, Brendereen decided not to try anything.

  “Well?” Came the voice again.

  Looking at each other, Bren nodded to Acarea and slowly put his blaster on the ground. With Acarea following suit.

  Then, as they slowly turned around, both realized that this was no Crillon.

  Instead, it was a man of Brendereen's race. As tall as him, but with dark coloured hair and smallish brown eyes. He was wearing an overall, which had a moon-shaped crest on one arm. A blaster in his hand threateningly pointed at them.

  “Hold on! I’m Brendereen, and this is my wife, Acarea. We're from City Atreen. Which as you probably know is destroyed now.”

  “Yes. I’m local to this area myself,” the man said. “We have very limited resources ourselves, as you can see.”

  “Is this all that's left?” Acarea asked in disbelief.

  “I'm afraid so. If you were hoping for some sort of miracle, then join the club.”

  “Then, we’re all as good as dead,” Bren replied. “Once these Crillon’s have got what they want, it’s goodbye planet.”

  “You could be right. I’ve seen the Crillons, and the information on their language translator,” he replied.

  “I'm Antoner, by the way. May I call you Bren? As your wife seems to.”

  “Of course, you can. My name’s a mouthful anyway.”

  “We were hoping to test the DNA of this Crillon blood sample,” said Acarea, handing him the closed syringe.

  “Two weeks ago, maybe we could have done something, but not now.”

  “Then we risked our lives for nothing,” Acarea said sadly.

  “There's always a chance that one of the other cities still has something to help you. But I doubt it somehow,” he replied, then suddenly looked worried.

  “How did you get here?” he asked.

  “We have a skimma. Don't worry. It's more than a kilometre away and well camouflaged.”

  “Thank goodness for that. The Crillons have patrols. Nasty’s not a strong enough word for them.”

  Bren looked thoughtful. “How many of you are there here?”

  “Only two of us. Myself and Garbreea my wife. She’s in a small room that was spared,” he moved his head from side to side in despair and lowered his blaster.

  “It'll only hold the two of us. I'm sorry there’s not enough room for all of us.”

  “It’s all right. We still have our own cabin intact,” Acarea said. “We’re farmers.”

  Antoner pointed to their blasters laying on the floor, “You’re not just farmers, are you?

  You have these blasters, and how did you get that syringe of Crillon blood?”

  “It’s a long story. But to keep it short, we just dropped down behind him, knocking him out. Acarea took a blood sample, and then we legged it fast.”

  “If you didn't kill him, then he’ll know someone hit him.”

  “No,” Bren said.

  “I bruised his arm to cover up the needle mark. Set a tyre, which was close by, on his arm. Then we watched him from a distance.

  He woke up. Just looked around, Saw the tyre, and moved it. Then rubbed his head and went.”

  “And you say that you are farmers? I don't think so.”

  “Well, we also had Ops training in the past,” Acarea remarked.

  “I thought so!

  Anyway, someone has taken our only working computer, so it's even more difficult for us to know what's going on.”

  Brendereen and Acarea exchanged a furtive glance with each other.

  “I expect there are other survivors around, like us,” Bren said.

  “Well, I suppose so,” he replied, doubtfully. Giving them a hard look.

  “Well,” said Acarea. “If you can't help us, we must go on and keep looking.”

  Bren picked up their weapons, and tucking one into his belt passed the other to Acarea.

  “We'll be back if we find your computer.”

  “That would be most welcome,” Antoner replied. Then embraced them and walked with them part-way through the tunnel before stopping.

  “Good luck,” he said and waited for them to go.

  “Make it look like this is our first time here,” Bren murmured. As he pretended to look for a switch for the lift.

  She smiled at him and nodded her head. Neither of them spoke again until they reached the skimma.

  “That was awkward Bren,” said Acarea.

  “Do you think he knows that we've got his computer?”

  “I hope not. We may have to see him again.”

  “He did watch us intently when we were leaving, Bren. And, he gave us a funny look when he said about the computer. On reflection, I think he does suspect us but can’t do anything about it.”

  “Well,” Bren said. “We've got it now, and we're not giving it back.” Tapped the home location on the skimma's screen. Then moved the route line, linking it to their cabin.

  This time, they would approach the cabin from a different direction.

  Acarea watched what he was doing. “Good thinking Bren.”

  He touched the ‘to go' symbol, and the skimma surged forward.

  Chapter 10

  First Leg.

  Frank sat in front of his screen. He felt comfortable waiting here, in his cabin, for the 3D conference to start.

  Anyway, it didn't matter whether he was here or in the control room since he had the same display screens in both locations and Andromeda was always with him.

  Eighteen hundred hours came, and his screen lit up with the 3D images of the delegates. Images of the other four ship’s captains showed along the bottom of his screen. With the top part displaying the members of the Federation's High Command, who were sitting at a kidney shaped table.

  At one minute past the hour, the screen images came to life, in 3D mode, appearing to stand slightly out of the screen. The names of the High Command members showing underneath their pictures.

  They were Tompkins, Medcalf, Murillo, Mertoff, and O’Banion. Plus AhKum, the Chinese representative, and only female.

  “Good Evening, Captains,” voiced the man in the centre, Professor Tompkins, Head of the USA section.

  They nodded in acknowledgement.

  Frank only knew Jack Medcalf and Tommy Trump, who along with the other four were there to support Tompkins, the High Command’s representative.

  “First. Those of you who want to broadcast this conference to your crew, please do so. We have no objection.”

  Frank, welcoming the idea, touched his ship's broadcast tab to allow the relay to his crew.

  “Second. The authorisation and command codes for your voyage will be sent to each ship before you leave.” Tompkins paused, then went on. “We've all seen the test and commissioning status re
ports and find them very encouraging.

  Now. This is how we expect things to happen, and our science and strategy teams agree that this is the best way forward.

  You may comment after I finish,” he paused and took a sip of water. Then continued.

  “With regard to Delta Pavonis. I won't bore you with all the star’s details, apart from the fact that it's only 19.9 light-years away.

  Everyone is sure that the warp disturbance near Delta Pavonis was genuine, quite large, and close to the DPav4 planet in the habitable zone. That’s about 1.07AU from the primary star,” he paused.

  “There are two other planets,” he added. “But we think we can ignore them. And, we all agree that the remnants of Fleet Twelve are most likely at Planet DPav4, close to Delta Pavonis.”

  “Yes, but don't forget SD 23,” interrupted Mertoff.

  “Shush! Let me continue. Our new warp crystals are nothing like Henderson's prototype, which we think was a fluke. The new ones, developed by Professor Tommy Trump’s team, have significantly improved the warp quota and jump distance.”

  “Don't forget SD 23,” repeated Mertoff.

  “I'll come to that Mertoff. Wait!” He said impatiently, throwing a hard glance at him.

  “We also believe that, if Fleet Twelve is on planet DPav4 and the planet is inhabited. Then the Crillons will be trying to make the inhabitants help them to manufacture warp core crystals.

  So, as you must have realised by now, DPav4 is our target planet,” he paused, took a drop of water, then continued.

  “We propose that you make two jumps. The first being twelve light-years. That is the longest jump, isn’t it professor?”

  “Yes. Ideally, we could get up to 15. But as the jump length increases the accuracy of the wormhole's exit point may reduce.”