Jack covered his face with his hands rubbing his temples. “Criste, it may already be too late. They left months ago. It would have only taken a day at most for them to get down the open trail and out into open space. No wait. The damn bubble fucked up all the open trails. Closing and opening new cleared areas. It could take months for them to find their way out of this maze unless they headed straight out of… No. they don’t have shield decks. It would take years for them to push their way through the cloud without burning up. They had to find a clear path out. The destroyers had just found one but then we already knew all the paths before the explosion stirred everything up and even then it would take us a full day to get through all the new switch backs to get out.” Jack had been talking to himself inside his head as yet another crewman jerked his straps around and checked his maintenance screen.
Pan sat in midair only feet away staring at him in shock. And finally said inside her head. ‘I still cannot believe I can hear every word you said in your mind. Just like we Dumonts can to each other but you are an alien, a human. We have never been able to hear let alone speak with another race. Not one Dumont in the 10,000 years we have been slaves. Are you our savior our legends talk about? An alien that can talk and mindsee better than Dumonts.’
Pan hovered there waiting as Jack’s mind raced as yet another crewman jerked his harness around and checked his maintenance screen. Jack not take his eyes off of Pan. Finally Jack sighed and spoke in his mind. ‘Yes I understand you perfectly though it took a few minutes during the attack after I came back from the hole they were smothering me in. Thanks to you helping, showing me how to shunt them into sections of my mind away from my consciousness. Thank God their time ran out giving me time to recuperate with you flooding me with your health before they attacked again.” Shaking his head Jack took a deep breath. I can understand your mind speak and all the other aliens verbal talk like they were my own language now and not just Dumonts. At first I had to be looking at them but now even talk behind my back is clear if I can hear it clearly.”
Jack looked down at crewmen jerking him around again testing his restraints then tap on his maintenance screen and finding nothing that needed maintaining he tapped off and slide off the side of the cockpit then Jack heard something hit the side of the fuselage and then rubbing. “Criste Pan? How many times does it take to check my harness and the maintenance screen?”
Pan smiled. “Each Wing wants the honor of having you as part of their Wing. By sending mechanics to inspect you and your ship they are saying that they are taking responsibility for you and your safety.” Pan frowned. “Do you want me to stop them?”
Jack closed his eyes fighting the urge to yell yes. He needed to get launched but he understood the need for the crews to identify with their new Captain. To feel as part of the family. He had learned that the hard way in The Game. Loosing battles when the crews gave up at the first sign of serious trouble even though Jack had known they were doing fine and would come out the winners but they could not see what he saw and crewmen alone scarred with all hell breaking around them would give up easily. He had even seen a matinee from a panicking crew who did not know their captain or what he was doing, with no confidence in the Captain or the other officers around them. Letting an officer as scarred as they were lead when the Captain failed to even appear like he could. He had learned that a crew had to be made a crew with all kinds of stupid bonding rituals as well as training together while being kept informed as to what was going on around them so their minds stayed focused on their jobs. A simple little ritual like this was just a start no matter how much he hated it.
Opening his eyes Jack shook his head. “Hell Pan the more the merrier.” There could not be that many more left after all the shaking around he had already endured. “Though I could do without them slapping the fuselage. Don’t tell me that is part of the ritual as well.”
Pan looked down at the side of the ship and smiled a Dumont smile Jack had finally stopped thinking was gruesome. “Have you taken a look at the side of your ship lately Captain?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “And how am I supposed to do that while strapped into this seat. What do you want to bet that if I get out to look they will start the procession all over again?”
Pan backed up as another crewman jumped up and started shaking him around pulling at his straps.
Pan raised her pad and then came back tapping on it. As the crewman finished with the maintenance screen and disappeared, a picture came up on his main cockpit screen of a ship with a half dozen foot high Wing insignias’ running down the side.
“Talking about Sports Car advertising.” But he knew this was only for the crews pride and not for the public or financing. Jack looked up at several platforms headed his way and shook his head. “Tell them to put a move on already, I need to get in space. We have a currier ship to find and stop.”
“Do you want me to inform the Destroyers to start looking Captain? I notice that you haven’t.”
“No. I need the destroyers to get this hulk moving just in case that ship escapes and warns the Spiders.” Shaking his head. “Hell if that ship escapes and they find out about this bubble with more metal slapped on the outside than anyone has ever seen before, the war is lost.” Taking a deep breath. “No the Destroyers don’t’ have the range or weapons to take on even the currier. Get those damn Battleship torpedoes mounted on the bombers. We have enough bombers to scour every damn trail half way around the cloud.” Shaking his head. “But even then all they may do is follow him out and too far behind to catch up to him once he is in clear space.” The detailed schematics of the bombers filled his mind bringing a smile. “I will take the first squadron and head straight for clear space through the cloud. With our atmosphere reentry and battle armor across the bow and wings leading edges, we should be able to make it through the clouds into clear space in only a few hours.”
Pan looked at Jack with her eyes getting big as her mouth dropped open. “Aaa. Very well Captain.” She finally said as another crewman started manhandling Jack. The crewman’s boobs hanging over into the cockpit. “I have the fighter wings that have already deployed wanting to, inspect your fighter as well Captain. I do not see the reason or necessity but I said I would pass the request to you.”
Jack immediately started to say, “No damn it!” but the words had not more than formed in his mind when he stopped and thought for a few seconds. “We have to stop at the head of the launch tubes to have the torpedoes mounted and final checks done to the ship. The bomber crews have checked me and the maintenance comp here. The fighter wings can do the final checks for launch but I don’t want delayed anymore so tell them to do it together.” Giving Pan a serious look. “You can get the torpedoes mounted in a reasonable time can’t you? The book says 11 minutes. I want that cut in half. Oh and see what armor you can add to the leading edges of these bombers in the next few minutes while you are at it. My mind says you stack the leading long V shaped trays of armor nose to crotch overlapping the ends of each other. Just slap another layer along the leading edge like they are storing it there using some of that super glue I see you folks using all the time. I think you can do the same for the bow but then it is thicker to begin with and as pointed as it is as well, it may not need it or work for that matter.”
Jack watched the hoses being withdrawn toward the ship’s hull from the back of the bombers next to him as the engineer to the side and behind him said. “Tanks full, all checks completed and ready for launch Captain.”
Jack turned around looking over his shoulder at the Gronk doing its best to smile like a human. Pride gushing from his mind.
The platform with the bomber on it left the hull and headed for the launch tube entrance at the top of the hanger by the core. The tube running across the top of the hanger from the core to the outer hull. Jack’s mind picturing the magnetic rail that was used to fling the bomber away from the ship at several thousand miles an hour. Jack had to swallow at the acceleration that was neede
d to do that and wondered if he could survive the launch even as he watched the rails being energized in preparation for the launch. Three other bombers joined him to line up in front of the 4 launch tubes lined up side by side. As the bomber halted backed up against a flattened section of the central core Jack watched the huge torpedoes being slid out from the core under each of the bombers wings between the engines and the central fuselage.
Jack was a little surprised when the noses of two torpedoes slid up into sight to either side of him a little to the rear. Making him apprehensive about having that much explosive power so close. Though he knew that the nose of the torpedoes had more armor on them than he did to resist enemy point defenses which were damn good since he had spent the last week going over what the Spider Battleship had to defend themselves with. Giving him a good idea why the Spider ships did not use fighters and bombers normally to attack other ships. It was a waste of time for a Spider fighter to even try to get close to an enemy battleship equipped as well as they were. He just hoped that same was not true for the currier ship they were going to try to take out. That is if they could even find it in time. He suddenly didn’t hold much hope of them stopping the currier from telling the God fleet about their little secrete though he knew they had to try.
The engineer to the side behind him spoke up. “Captain, the torpedo mass tanks will finish filling in 5 minutes and we can launch.”
Jack knew if they had to wait 5 minutes for all the bombers to fill their torpedo tanks it would take forever to get enough ships out of there to possible even find the damn ship. Then looking around he noticed more platforms with bombers on them floating in below them to back up against the flat section of the core below him facing the launch tube. He watched as torpedoes started sliding out to be mounted on them as well. Then the rest of the launch procedures came flooding into his mind telling him that they would have 200 bombers launched in a half hour with another 4 tubes on the other 3 sides of the core working as well. OK that problem salved he still felt like he was forgetting something important as he looked around and spotted the pilot staring at him from the bomber next to him. Apprehension filling his mind suddenly. Suddenly Jack knew what he had forgotten.
“Custern.” Jack turned to look over his shoulder at the engineer remembering the name tag on his flight suit still surprised that he could read it. “Get me a line to all the fighters and bombers ship wide please.”
“Hooked in Captain.” Custern said a few moments later.
“This is Captain Turner. A Currier ship filled with God Officers launched from here before we attacked and took the ship. If it is able to leave the cloud and report back to the God Fleet they will probably send their entire fleet here to take advantage of the vast amount of raw metal resources we have available here making it impossible for us to win this war and remain free. We have to find and stop that ship from leaving. Without any armored decks like the battle ships, it has to find its way through the labyrinth of clear paths to get out of the cloud into open space. Most of you will be searching those pathways trying to find it before it escapes. Just in case it is too far ahead to intercept or you do not find it before it finds its way out, I am taking a squadron through the cloud directly to open space in the hope we can intercept it before it gets away. Do your best is all I can ask or expect. Good hunting. Captain Turner out.”
Jack turned to Custern to contact launch control but the engineer spoke first. “Flight Command Center is calling Captain Turner.”
“Ok put them on then get launch control we only have a minute left and I want to be ready to launch as soon as the torpedos are topped off.”
Commander Samuels appeared on the screen. “Captain Turner sir. Permission for our human trainees and their Gronk instructors to join the search sir. The fighters are faster especially with the bombers carrying those torpedoes. We can zip through the pathways and find the ship in no time and then vector the bombers in for the kill sir.”
“Commander our pilots have only had less than an hour of instruction time and I don’t quite trust the new Gronk pilots yet. I don’t know them.”
“All due respect Captain but you had only minutes of instruction when you crashed your first Spider Assault boat into the lock to save our marines. We know the basics of these God fighters now. They aren’t that different than our own. We can fly them well enough to search the pathways while we are learning the rest. As for the new Apes, or Gronks I guess they are called now. We can leave them paired up with each of our pilots as they already are so if they try anything we will nail them. Their flying abilities are basic and repetitive from what I have seen, we won’t have any problem out flying them with their own ships sir.”
“Very well Commander, get them ready but put half in bombers with torpedoes for when the currier is found. They should be ready when we finish launching here in a half hour. Have the fighters leave through the top entrance hatches to the Transport and landing deck. Out.”
“Captain! One moment please. Some of the alien maintenance pilots just came in and while they are not comfortable flying fighters, they would like to take out some of the larger Transport Boats to serve as supply and repair bases for the fighters and bombers extending their range with the smaller fast boats serving to pick up any pilots that have to eject or tow damaged fighters back for repairs. The marines would like to tag along in the Assault Shuttles as well just in case you decide to take the ship when you find it.”
“Very well Commander but leave at least half the marines here along with a squadron of fighters and bombers. I don’t want the God Currier ship showing up with the ship unprotected just in case the Godship is only around the corner of the bubble waiting for the berserkers to die or now, for us to leave. Which reminds me. Make sure our comm Sats and channels stay protected and active and if one goes down treat it seriously and start recalling fighters and bombers to protect the Battleship. No if, ands, or butts. I will probably be out of communication once I enter the cloud and if our shielding is shit by the time we get out of the cloud, days away from returning. I am depending on you Commander. This is your ship while I am gone. Get those Destroyers mounted and this ship moved to the hulk base as fast as you can. I told Pan that she could leave a mining crew on the shield plate. Leave a small detachment of Red Apes with them just in case the Currier is still around or other problems arise.”
Launch control suddenly came on the comm. “Captain. Launching in three, two, one and.”
The Fighter Bomber was flung down the chute with Jack feeling like he had been left behind as the fighter/bomber raced away from the ship skimming along the bubble’s surface. Swallowing he got control of himself as he backed off on the throttle while he watched the three other fighter/bombers maintain formation with him. Slowly he rolled the bomber around until up was away from the bubble below and pulled back on the stick and they were soon racing up at the cloud far overhead. Now wishing he had called the Red Pepper over to create a tunnel through the cloud to clear space. But then that was the last thing they needed was a straight clear road out of and into the cloud with a God treasure pot of metals at the bottom.
As they approached the cloud a second flight of 4 joined them. Turning to the engineer/weapons tech busy at his console. “We ready to enter the cloud Mr. Custern?”
The Gronk smiled at Jack. “Yes Captain the Buzzard scoops are on at full power and everything is retracted for atmosphere entry sir.”
“Very good. Keep an eye on temperatures and let me know if we need to slow down.” Hitting the comm to the rest of the flight as he watched the last 4 fighter/bombers catching up. “Ok flight spread out a good couple of miles from each other so we don’t have to worry about collisions or our wakes interfering with each other. It is going to be a long push but keep it up as long and as fast as you can. We have to beat that Currier ship out of the cloud and destroy it or we lose the war. Stay in contact but if we get separated because you had to slow down I will see you on the other side in clear space. Good luck.
Out.”
The fighter-bomber was suddenly in the cloud. At the speed they were at it was not a gradual increase of density but a sudden onrush of ionized gasses flying off the bow and leading edges of the fighter-bomber washing out all sensory input including Comms with the surrounding fighter-bombers with only their blobs on the sensors. He had not expected that but realized that he should have. It always happened when ships entered a planet’s atmosphere for landing. He should not have taken it for granted that the Gods had fixed that little problem.
Battleship Destroyer 2 (Battleship Destoryer) Page 16
