HADRON Incursion

by Stephen Arseneault

  Jordan said, “Reactor two is in the grapple. What should we do with the prisoners?”

  Mace replied, “Leave them be, Mr. Crawford. We can’t bring them aboard here. They still have power don’t they?”

  Jordan nodded. “We left one running. It has slight damage, but it should keep them from freezing until help arrives. If help arrives.”

  Mace frowned. “They aren’t our responsibility, Mr. Crawford. Their leadership left them in that position. Not what I would prefer, but we can’t take them with us either.”

  The two prized reactors and ten transducers were dropped in shuttle bays one and three. The teams were soon on to the next remnant. Forty minutes later, two additional reactors and thirteen more transducers were aboard the Rogers.

  Jeff walked onto the bridge. I think we have a solution, Mr. Hardy. The next remnant has a nearly full hydrogen store. We think we can salvage the lines from this cruiser section. Liam will have to bring us to within a hundred meters of that ship and hold us there. We can string the line between the two fill ports on the exterior of the two ships.”

  Jane asked, “How do we move the fuel over?”

  Jeff smiled. “We can thank Mr. Heeb for that one. When the tanks are connected, we’ll get some fuel naturally just from the pressure differential. The rest we get by heating the other hydrogen store.”

  Jasper shook his head. “Now that doesn’t sound dangerous at all does it? Anyone? Anyone else take issue with that scheme?”

  Jeff waved it off. “Relax. We’re only talking two of three degrees. We won’t achieve a full tank from it, but we believe we can get close to 80 percent.”

  Mace nodded. “Sounds good, Jeff. Do what you need to make that happen. The shuttles can keep going while we rig this up.”

  Jeff continued: “And we did a few calculations while we were at it. It seems one of those fuel stores will fit almost perfectly into one of our shuttle bays. Means we’d lose a shuttle, but we could bring in a full tank of fuel, which right now we are in desperate need of.”

  Jasper shook his head. “I think putting a full store in one of those bays is a catastrophe waiting to happen. How about this instead: pull the store, grapple it with a shuttle, and fly it somewhere else. I don’t like us sitting in front of that open portal.”

  Jeff nodded. “That would save us from having to potentially dump one of our shuttlecraft. Excellent suggestion, Mr. Collins.”

  The Rogers was moved to the suggested location. Salvaged pipe was strung between the two warships and fuel was soon flowing across.

  Johnny turned. “We’ll be out of here in an hour. We have new reactors, more fuel, and more transducers. I call that a win-win-win.”

  Mace shook his head. “Would have preferred the Aussies and another hundred ships.”

  Johnny replied. “Obviously. But we should be happy with the win anyway. There’s nothing saying the Aussies aren’t OK.”

  Chapter 20

  *

  Humphrey reported. “Hydrogen store is now as 63 percent.”

  Tom Beals came over the comm. “We’re on the last remnant. Only five transducers left. We should be in and out in about fifteen minutes on this one.”

  Jordan Crawford said, “We’re in bay three, dropping off reactors four and five. One more on that last remnant and we’re done.”

  Humphrey held up a hand as he raised his voice. “Sir, I’m picking up another wormhole opening! It’s on the other side.”

  Mace yelled, “Mr. Beals! Get out of there immediately! We have incoming! Crawford, where are you?”

  “Still in bay three.”

  Mace yelled, “Stay where you are! Button everything down! We have another ship coming through! Mr. Moskowitz, cut our ties to that hydrogen store! Mr. Humphrey! Tell me what you see!”

  Humphrey replied, “I’m getting mixed signals, Mr. Hardy. Whatever it is, it hasn’t come through yet.”

  Mace turned to Jasper. Get down to Jeff and see to it that we’re fully disconnected!”

  Jasper stood, racing to the bridge door.

  Mace turned to face Hans Mueller. “Mr. Mueller, I want you to start throwing plasma rounds through that portal. Whatever wants to come through will have to deal with that first. Might just buy us a few seconds more.”

  Tom Beals yelled out: “We’ll be up in thirty seconds! Forty-five after that we’ll be home!”

  Mace replied, “Do what you can, Mr. Beals! Every second may make the difference!”

  Jeff said, “We have separation, Mr. Hardy. But you might want to pull away. We couldn’t shut off the flow from that other tank. Anything could set it off. Don’t know if our dampener fields would save us from that blast.”

  Humphrey said, “We have a ship coming through the second portal. And it’s big! Bigger than that dreadnought!”

  Mace drew in a long breath as he rubbed his hands together, looking down at Jane and Gnaga Klept. She was scanning the display and he was staring at the floor.

  “You might want to belt yourself in. And strap him in, too, while you’re at it.”

  Gnaga mumbled imperceptibly.

  Jane asked, “What? What’d you say?”

  Gnaga turned to face her. “It’s a Dauntless-class dreadnought, the third largest ship in the Galactic Union fleet. It means the Union is now paying full attention to you. We might as well fly into the nearest star. We’re dead now.”

  Mace replied, “We aren’t dead until I say so. Jane, as soon as we’re done, get him off the bridge to somewhere secure.”

  Jane replied, “Consider it handled.”

  The wormhole in front of the Rogers began to grow. An enormous ship moved into sensor view.

  Hans yelled, “I don’t think our cannons are doing any damage!”

  A single shot came through the expanding wormhole, incinerating shuttle one, along with Tom Beals and his team.

  Mace closed his eyes and yelled, “Mr. Hobbs! Get us out of here!”

  The Rogers turned as a second high power plasma round ripped through Kaachi ship remnants that had drifted in front of the opening. The Kaachi remains were vaporized, as were the Kaachi crewmen who still manned it.

  As the Humans attempted escape, the nose of the great ship came through the still expanding portal. A forward cannon expelled a plasma charge in the Rogers’ direction as a hail came over the comm.

  Johnny accepted the hail, passing it to the main display wall. An alien of a new species, barely two and a half feet tall, stood in full military garb. Tabs of alabaster skin flowed over the top of its head like hair, disappearing into the back of its medal-encrusted uniform.

  Jasper said, “Holy cow! We’re being attacked by little buck-toothed beavers!”

  The figure on the display spoke in a squeaky, high voice. “Rebels of the realm, King Favagud has chosen to offer you this one chance at peace. You have shown yourselves to be worthy of our rule. Accept and become subjects of the Dellus Kingdom as military subjects, or forever be scattered among the stars as disintegrated particles of debris.”

  Mace cleared his throat and replied: “We are a free people, to be ruled by no others. You have invaded our space. You attempt to take our lands and our people.”

  The figure scowled. “This galaxy and all who are in it are part of the Galactic Union. As its arbiters, we are giving you one last chance to join us. Your alternative is death.”

  Mace stood and leaned in toward the bridge camera. “Then give us death. Otherwise, we will live on and fight, if only to be a thorn in the side of the Galactic Union.”

  Mace turned to face Liam. “Tell me we will be out of range in a few seconds.”

  “I could tell you that, but it wouldn’t be true.”

  The forward plasma cannon on the front of the Dauntless glowed white hot only an instant before the highly charged plasma round was released. The Rogers shuddered as the round clipped the left side gravity drive.

  Humphrey yelled, “Damage is minimal! We have one transducer operating at 50 p
ercent!”

  Liam Hobbs set the Rogers twisting and turning, always moving away from the mammoth Dellus warship. A second plasma round found its mark, blackening the hull and ripping a transducer from its welds.

  Humphrey yelled, “Fifteen seconds to be out of range!”

  Mace took a deep breath and held it as the image on the display flipped around and dashed from side to side.

  Mace said, “Mr. Humphrey! Anything we can do to stabilize that image!”

  A button was pressed and the Dellus ship centered in the display.

  Jasper shook his head. “Finally. Thought I was gonna puke.”

  “Please don’t,” Mace replied.

  A bright flash and a violent jarring signified another hit. This time taking two transducers with it.

  Humphrey yelled, “Our ass end is exposed!”

  Liam maneuvered to the side, attempting to keep the exposed section from direct line of fire. The plasma round that followed took out another three transducers and ripped into shuttle bay one, the blast doors sealing it off from the remainder of the ship.

  Mueller looked up. “We just lost Jackson, Chan, and Riga, Mr. Hardy.”

  “How long, Mr. Humphrey?”

  “On the edge of their range, sir.”

  Hobbs yelled over his shoulder. “We have enough distance to react! I should be able to dodge any new rounds!”

  A bright flash emanated from the powerful Dauntless forward cannon as the great ship turned their way. Liam Hobbs performed a hard left rolling maneuver. The plasma charge whispered by, just missing an exposed section of the gravity drives.

  Humphrey said, “Mr. Hobbs! Careful with those turns! We’re close to losing structural integrity without the dampening fields fully covering our outsides!”

  Liam shook his head. “Have to work with what I’ve got, Mr. Mallot! If we split apart on our own, then so be it!”

  The next expected plasma round did not come. Liam straightened out the forward trajectory, heading toward the nearest planet. Mars was centered on the nav display.

  Mace released a long held in breath. “What’s our status, Mr. Mallot?”

  Humphrey replied, “Shuttle bay one took severe damage. I don’t have camera access to the bay itself. The section is sealed. We aren’t outgassing air from anywhere.”

  Mace turned. “Mr. Collins, take Mr. Klept to a secure location until we get settled. Jane, organize a team to get into bay one to check over that damage.”

  Hobbs yelled, “They’re coming after us!”

  Mace sat forward. “Are they gaining?”

  Hobbs shook his head, “Can’t tell until they reach full speed. Give me a few more seconds… it looks like they are topping out below us, Mr. Hardy. We might just make it out of here!”

  A rumble ran through the Rogers.

  Mace asked, “Tell me what that was, Mr. Mallot!”

  Humphrey replied, “We lost a reactor!”

  Jasper released his grip on Gnaga Klept and raced off the bridge. Humphrey switched wall views to the reactor room. Two of the Mawga crewmen were attacking the reactor control console with their short swords.

  Mace stood and sprinted after Jasper, yelling as he ran. “Sabotage!”

  Jasper turned the corner into the reactor room, charging ahead as the exosuit pushed him forward. The first saboteur turned with his sword too late. Jasper caught him with his plated fist, nearly severing his head from his body. The second crewman swung his sword down hard, impacting the forearm of Jasper’s battlesuit. Jasper winced but returned the favor with a punch to the chest. The Mawga slammed hard into the side of the reactor he’d attempted to disable, slumping to the floor.

  Mace entered the room. “What happened? Are there any more?”

  Jasper shook his head. “Just those two. But I think it’s time the rat people were all locked up. Can’t be trusted.”

  Mace looked over the damage to the console. “This one still appears functional. Mr. Hobbs, how’s our speed?”

  Liam replied, “We lost 5 percent.”

  Mace scowled. “Mr. Mallot, where’s the Dellus ship?”

  Humphrey replied, “Still following, but slowly losing ground. Had they taken out that second reactor, we’d have had a real race on our hands.”

  Mace shook his head. “Mr. Collins, lock that one up and take his friend to an airlock and dump him.”

  Jasper picked the groggy Mawga up by his neck. “You’re coming with me. You’re gonna tell me everything you know.”

  Bontu Montak walked into the room. “What happened?”

  Jasper dropped the injured Mawga, leaping forward and pinning the Mawga Chancellor to the wall. “You traitorous little rats tried to do us in, that’s what happened!”

  Bontu returned a horrified stare. “That could not be. I’ve known both of those crewmen for ten cycles. They could not have done this to us!”

  Jasper pointed a finger at Bontu’s left eye, as if preparing to gouge it out.

  Mace stepped forward, taking Jasper by the shoulder. “They did this, Bontu. Tell us what’s going on.”

  Bontu continued his horrified stare. “I can assure you, Mr. Hardy, I knew nothing of this. For us to be captured by the Union is certain death for me. What reason could I possibly have?”

  Jasper gave his best mean face. “You did this to try to get back in favor with your other little rats.”

  Bontu slowly shook his head. “No, Mr. Collins, I did not. There are no actions taken in the Emperor’s name that could bring me back into his graces. As a former chancellor, I am an outcast from the Mawga, forever.”

  Mace asked, “Why would they do it?”

  Bontu wanted for answers. “Perhaps they thought as Mr. Collins suggests, that they would somehow be allowed to go home. It was my decision to defect to your side, Mr. Hardy. My decision forced them to follow, even though I thought them to be loyal.

  “You see, Mr. Hardy, when a subject loses favor with the Emperor, all those who surround him are punished as well. I have often shuddered at the thought of what happened to my remaining crewmen. They are likely now in the Mawga military as front-line troops.”

  Mace glanced over at the injured Mawga. “Take Mr. Montak and that scum and lock them in conference room C, along with the other Mawga, until we figure things out.”

  Jasper walked Bontu over to the other crewman, bending over and picking him up by the neck. He did the same to Bontu, the alien’s small arms and legs dangling toward the floor as a scowling Jasper carried them out.

  Mace walked to the bulkhead of bay one, where Jane was standing by.

  Jane pointed. “Look at this seam. We got lucky. This whole wall has moved in about an inch. Kind of surprised it held. And surprised we don’t have any leaks from it.”

  “I take it someone has gone through the chamber?”

  Jane nodded. “Jeff, Heeb and Hooba are in there.”

  Mace opened a comm. “Mr. Moskowitz? How are things looking in there?”

  “It’s a mess. We found two of the three bodies. I think the third may have gotten sucked out. We have a hole in the main bay that’s probably two meters in diameter. Looking out you see nothing but stars.”

  Mace leaned close to his camera and whispered. “Any strange behavior from Heeb or Hooba?”

  Jeff looked into his comm. “No, why? Does this have something to do with those rumbles we felt?”

  Mace nodded. “Two of the Mawga took out a reactor. They were working over a second when Jasper caught up to them.”

  Jeff stopped and stared. “The Mawga? They’ve been nothing but helpful.”

  “Yeah, well, two of them decided they wanted to take their chances with the Galactic Union.”

  Jeff slowly turned to look across the bay at Heeb and Hooba as they poked through the debris.

  Maala Heeb looked back. “We found the transducers! They look to be intact!”

  Mace said, “I think you better bring them out until all this gets settled.”<
br />
  Jeff returned a half frown as he shook his head. “Too bad. They’re both great workers. But I can see us needing to put our safety first. Heeb! Hooba! Come over here!”

  The two Mawga scientists were hurried through the airlock chamber and into the hallway. Jasper was standing by to escort them to their temporary cell in conference room C.

  Mace looked at Jeff. “Can it be fixed?”

  Jeff shrugged. “Too early to say. First thing we need to do is patch that hole. That charge blew that section of hull straight into that blast wall. Did Jane show you the seams?”

  Mace nodded. “She did. Look, we’re out of danger for the moment. Round up as many crewmen as you need to help with this. And, Jane, why don’t you head back to the reactor room and see if you can get that downed reactor restarted.”

  Mace made his way back to the bridge. “Mr. Crawford, Jeff will be needing assistance. See that he gets whatever he needs.”

  Jordan nodded and briskly left the bridge.

  Johnny asked, “Jasper didn’t waste any time down there, did he. We were watching on the display.”

  Mace sat. “He did what we needed him to do. The rest of the Mawga have been rounded up until we figure out what to do.”

  Johnny winced. “You think they acted under orders?”

  Mace half scowled. “I don’t think so, but anything is possible.”

  Liam said, “We’re still pulling away. At this pace it will take us another couple hours to be out of sensor range. You have any place in mind that you’d like us to go?”

  Mace nodded. “I think we head to Proteus to nurse our wounds. We lost another fifteen people back there. If we also count Gnaga and Montak’s people, we’re down to seventy. That doesn’t leave us much extra on our crew rotations.”

  David Yancy walked onto the bridge. “I’ve been studying the workings of this ship, Mr. Hardy. With a little effort, I think we can automate a half dozen or so duty stations. If true, that drops our needs down to twenty-four crew for any given shift. That’s three nearly full rotations.”

  Mace pulled up a camera view of the hall outside bay one. “Sounds great, David, but I think we’re just going to have to suck it up for a while longer. Head down to bay one and see if you can give Jeff a hand. We need that breach closed up.”