'How?' said Theo.
'Shared telemetry,' Donny said. 'AH this boat's instru-
mentation will be showing up on one of the Heracles's
screens - if they wanted to, they could probably take
control of its navigationals as well.'
'So now we open negotiations,' Theo said.
'Aye.' Donny pressed the channel button. 'Hermes to
Heracles-ops - my name is Captain Barbour, acting
under special orders of President Sundstrom and
requesting to speak with your CO.'
'Heracles-ops to Hermes - please stand by ... sorry,
Hermes, but Captain Velazquez is in a conference call
with the Hegemony ambassador and President Kirkland
right now but he should be speaking to you in a few
minutes.'
'Understood, Heracles-ops,' Donny said, cutting the
respond.
'Was that wise, giving your name?' Theo said.
Donny shrugged. 'My folks are both dead and I was an
only child, so there's nobody for them tae hold hostage.'
'I am sorry to hear that,' Theo said.
Donny grinned. 'Don't be - my friends are my family
and I got tae choose every one.' He paused, glancing at
the console then the pale blue holodisplay overhead.
'Course has been changed, velocity too - we're picking
up speed ...'
Theo leaned on the couch armrest and ran his fingers
through his hair. 'So the Heracles has taken control of
us?'
'Aye . .. dritt, if I knew a bit more I could . ..'
'Heracles-ops to Shuttlecraft Hermes . . .'
A small holoplane appeared over the main console,
displaying the Earthsphere navy's symbol, two flaming
comets against a stylised galactic spiral. Donny sniffed
and thumbed the respond.
'Shuttlecraft Hermes to Heracles-ops - Captain
Barbour speaking.'
The opaque holoplane blinked, suddenly showing a
craggy-featured man with dark hair and intense, hazel-
brown eyes.
'I am Captain Velazquez - why have you hijacked
my shuttle?'
'Had to see ye about an important matter, Captain,'
Donny said. 'Seemed as good a way as any, given that
we're acting under President Sundstrom's executive
order ...'
'Kirkland is president now,' Velazquez said.
'Sundstrom's policies have been superseded.'
'That might be the case, Captain,' Theo said, 'if
Kirkland actually had a spine and a brain to go with
it!'
Velazquez regarded him from the screen. 'And you
are?'
'Karlsson, former major in the Darien Volunteer
Corps.'
The Heracles's captain nodded. 'Major Karlsson,
Viktor Ingram's right-hand man - hoping to overthrow
another government, Major?'
Theo gritted his teeth. 'If the government's corrupt, I
see no problem with the notion.'
'The probabilities are not in your favour, I'm afraid.'
Velazquez seemed to grow impatient. 'Gentlemen, what
is the reason for this charade?'
'Ourselves and a group of researchers are formally
requesting political asylum aboard your vessel, sir,' said
Donny.
'Thought it might be something like that,' Velazquez
said. 'Why did Sundstrom want these researchers kept
out of Hegemony hands?'
Donny shrugged. 'The president originally had a deal
with the Imisil to get them away, but as ye can see
they've been kicked out. And before ye ask, we don't
know anything about what's in their heads, but I guess
it must be important. . .'
And deadly, Theo thought, remembering Pyatkov's
attitude.
'I understand your position, gentlemen, but there is a
problem.' Velazquez glanced at something nearby. 'A
Brolturan soldier died during your illegal hijacking and
both High Monitor Kuros and the Brolturan com-
mander are screaming for the arrest of those responsible.
So if I brought the Hermes on board my ship with the
aim of offering its passengers asylum, this would cease
to be a security matter and become a diplomatic inci-
dent.'
'And yet you've changed our course to meet the
Heracles out beyond high orbit,' Donny said. 'And in
just a few minutes, too.'
'Yes - there is only one option open to you. When
we rendezvous, you will get those researchers into the
emergency suits then send them out through the air-
lock. I will then be obliged to take them on board as
Distressed Persons Adrift under the Rescue and
Emergency protocol.'
'But not us,' Theo said.
'Correct. My report will state that you abandoned
your passengers then took off for that forest moon.'
Theo and Donny glanced at each other in puzzlement.
'And why are we doing that?' said Donny.
'Captain Barbour, if you were better trained you
would notice that the Purifier has launched two inter-
ceptors and that they are already halfway here. I suggest
that you get those people ready.'
Theo looked at Donny. 'Is he telling the truth?'
Without answering, Donny punched up a display
that showed two bright specks moving round the
planet's curve towards where another pair of dots, blue
this time, were converging. Resigned, Theo went with
him to explain the situation to the Enhanced. It was
oddly awkward - he couldn't tell from their expres-
sions if they understood or were angry or calm. Then
the one called Julia asked to speak with Captrin
Velazquez, who assured her that anyone left behind by
the shuttle would be brought to safety within the
Heracles. Listening closely to Velazquez's careful word-
ing, she nodded, once to the captain, once to Donny
and Theo.
After that the Enhanced were quickly suited up in
lightweight metallic blue rigs, and their progression
through the airlock went ahead, first pair, second pair,
and Julia last. As she ducked through the hatch she
paused to look back at them.
'Thank you for helping us,' she said. 'I don't under-
stand why you did this, but thank you.'
Theo and Donny said their own goodbyes then, as
the hatch closed and cycled through, they exchanged a
puzzled look, before hurrying back to the cramped
cockpit to check the long-range sensors. Even as they
saw that the two interceptors were now between them
and Darien, a voice came over the ship-to-ship.
'Attention Hermes, this is Flight-Marshal Kowalski.
Strap yourselves in, gentlemen - we're about to send
you on a bit of a ride.'
'Better do what the man says,' Donny muttered.
Outside the cockpit viewport, the long, tapering
shape of the Heracles loomed at an angle, its grey and
silver hull sporting rows of dark, opaque blisters. Then,
as they fastened their restraints, Theo heard a muffled,
intermittent hum and the Hermes turned, giving them a
transient view of the Enhanced being snagged by power
grappler lines and reeled into an open hold in the
<
br /> Heracles's belly. Then the green orb of Nivyesta swung
into view and stopped.
'Thruster systems initialised, Hermes - stand by for
fast burn.'
Patterns flickered on the console, then Theo felt a
momentary kick of acceleration before the inertial
dampening cut in. He sat there in the couch's firm
embrace for a minute, breathing the plastic-tainted air,
feeling the vibration of the shuttle's engines with his
back, neck and arms, realising that his fear was still
there but caged, shackled by old combat reflexes. The
knack was in using your fear, knowing when to ignore
it, when to listen and how to use it to stay alive. But
now the kind of trouble that was looming was one in
which he was completely reliant on Donny Barbour's
skills to avoid dying in a fireball of destruction when
those Brolturan fighters caught up with them.
And now Kowalski was back on the comm, telling
them where the two-man escape pod was and how to set
the autopilot for a bail-out when they hit Nivyesta's
upper atmosphere. He also gave Donny a quick run-
down on the shuttle's weapons (or rather weapon, a
single laser cannon), countermeasures and shields.
'But you shouldn't get into the situation where you
have to use them,' said Kowalski. 'Anyway, you've got
another twelve minutes before you enter high orbit
around that moon. After that, you're on your own.
Good luck, Hermes.'
'Aye, thanks, Heracles - when this is all over, we'll
have ye round for a few drinks and all the steak ye can
eat!'
'We wouldn't miss it for anything, Hermes - safe
journey.'
The mood of the exchange was light and amiable and
to Theo seemed to underline the gravity of their position.
'So how bad is it?' he said.
Donny gave a little smile and a sidelong glance. 'No'
much gets past you, does it, Major?'
Theo shrugged. 'I know the sound of bad odds, espe-
cially when I hear them not being mentioned. What are
our chances?'
Donny pointed at the holodisplay. 'Those intercep-
tors are closing on us faster than we'd reckoned - they
might catch us just as we hit atmosphere.'
'At which point we're dead.'
'Well . . . aye, unless we try something a wee bit
unorthodox.' He leaned closer. 'Set the autopilot to
aggressively engage them just after our pod separates.
The shuttle only has to keep them occupied for a few
minutes, long enough for the pod to reach low altitude.'
Theo nodded, feeling a twinge of nausea and a trem-
ble in his hands and legs, and smiled. It was just his
fear, rattling its cage.
'Okay, if that's our only shot,' he said. 'We'll make it
a good one.'
The minutes fled past, Donny working at the console,
setting up parameters for the autopilot while Theo
checked the supplies for the pod. A small hatch in the
bulkhead behind the cockpit led down a few steps to the
open pod, into which they would have to crawl. Theo
had raided the shuttle's medical and ration lockers and
was stowing the booty away when Donny called down
to him.
'Have we got everything?'
'We have - where are the hunters?'
'Practically on top of us. Ye've got it all packed away,
aye?'
'Yes, is it time?'
'It certainly is, Theo.'
Theo heard the pod's own hatch thud shut and seal
with the whine of motors.
A horrible realisation struck him and he lunged
round in the tiny space to get at the hatch, trying to
find controls to open it, but there were none.
'Theo, I know that this is a rotten trick ... aye, I
know, but it's the only way. Better get strapped in -
twenty seconds and you're away.'
'Donny, you damn bloody fool!' Theo raged as he
hurriedly crawled back round again and tugged several
broad straps tight over his body. 'Is this some kind of
Caledonian-warrior-self-sacrifice thing . . .'
'Dinna be daft! - if we both left in the pod, those
interceptors would pick us off with missiles. This way at
least one of us stands a chance. Don't get me wrong -
I've every intention of living to a ripe old age . . . right,
hold on tae yer hat!'
There was a cluster of small bangs and suddenly the
pod lurched and dropped, Theo's stomach protesting as
the tiny craft seemed to flip over then right itself.
'Donny! - what's happening?'
'I won't be able to speak much soon, Theo - just got
my hands full with these two, but then they did come in
staggered overwatch formation . . . right, got tae go.
Good luck and good hunting, Major, and I'll see ye on
the bright side!'
Then the channel went dead.
You're a fool, Donny Barbour, he thought as the pod
shuddered about him. If I didn't know any better, Id
say we were related. "When next we meet we'll drink the
finest whisky and tell magnificent lies about our family
trees.
But a faint and hollow dread told him that he was
thinking about a dead man.
54
DONNY
As he cut the channel, the Brolturan interceptor was on
his tail, lining up for a point-to-point attack. Donny
grinned. He knew he'd been in the enemy's range for
over thirty seconds, but the pilot had obviously decided
that with such a weak opponent he could afford to relax
and indulge in a bit of exhibition gunnery.
Well, he's in for a wee surprise^.
Donny punched up a sequence of special commands,
which he had been preparing while Theo was gathering
together those supplies a short while ago. Working on
his own improvisations, backed up by brief text notes
from Kowalski, he had figured out a handful of
manoeuvres and shield configurations which had
prompted the flight-marshal to call him 'a crazy man'.
Donny didn't mind if his unorthodox scheme offered
only a slim chance of survival. That was better than
none.
The enemy was almost in position, and the Hermes's
sensors told him that its weapons were targeting. Donny
hit the execute in the holodisplay, the attitude jets buzzed,
and the shuttle made a perfect 180-degree lateral turn.
Then the shields reconfigured into airbrakes, and since
they were already entering Nivyesta's upper atmosphere
the shuttle's velocity quickly began to fall. At the same
time the main thrusters fired, ramping up the decelera-
tion, and the Brolturan interceptor, a vaguely oval craft
with weapon indents along its leading edge, seemed to
rush straight towards the shuttle.
Donny flinched in reflex, but there was nothing for
him to do but watch and hope and pray.
The Brolturan was already banking as the two vessels
converged, but Donny's second shield configuration was
ready, huge, curved blades of forcefield projected out
from the prow. Wh
ere they collided with the Brolturans
own shields, harmonic interference dissipated in daz-
zling flashes of light and energy and when gaps opened
up in the underside barrier the Hermes's targeting
system was quick to act. The laser cannon sent a stream
of composite pulse bolts through the gaps, hammering
into the hull, smashing open compartments, sending
shattered fragments flying. ..
The interceptor veered away sharply but it was too
late. Lines of vapour and hot gas were trailing from the
stern, then a fuel feed must have been exposed because
an immense explosion abruptly tore the craft open from
the engines forward. Donny let out a roar of delight as
several pieces of burning debris arced and spun away
down towards the forest moon's surface.
But his triumph was cut short when alerts beeped
and the display showed the second interceptor burning I
tight turn towards him, and launching a couple of mis-
siles into the bargain.
Time to make tracks, he thought, bringing the shuttle
round to point forward, angling to gain altitude as he
engaged the thrusters. Another tactical sequence was
selected, a simple but cunning one. Then, seeing that he
had a minute or two before the missiles arrived, he
opened a general widecast channel.
'This is, er, Darien Combat Shuttle Hermes, Captain
Barbour commanding, calling anyone within range of
this signal.'
A moment later, a sceptical male voice.
'This is Pilipoint Station control - what did you say
you were? Is this some kind of joke?'
'Did ye see anything happening in the sky just
recently, Pilipoint?'
'By damn, yes! We've had explosions and burning
things falling . . .'
'Aye, well, that's because I just shot down a Brolturan
fighter that was giving me grief, and I've got another one
chasing after me with a brace,of missiles . . . just a
second . . .'
The missiles were coming in fast and lethal, twin
undeviating trajectories, pale trails of oncoming destruc-
tion. Donny knew that it was wing-and-a-prayer time as
he triggered the countermeasures sequence and sat back,
waiting to see if he lived through the next thirty seconds.
'Hermes to Pilipoint Station - still awake down
Michael Cobley - Humanity's Fire book 1 Page 52
