Shaltia didn't answer. Cooper jogged down the corridor to the lift. When he reached the main level, he stepped out and started looking for Mitch.
"Mitch!" he called.
Fucking dog, where are you, he thought.
Shaltia had left the grav cart right inside Alura's hatch. Cooper grabbed it and hurried back.
"Alura, how long does it take to retract the airlock?"
"One minute and forty-three seconds," the ship answered.
Almost two minutes. That was a lot of time to not have a shield when a Skolean cruiser was breathing down your neck.
Cooper pushed the grav cart into the lift and descended to the cargo level. He grabbed the first stack of crates. The grav cart enacting a field around the crates making them virtually weightless. Glancing over his shoulder at the stasis tube, Cooper pushed the cart out.
In thirty minutes, he had made three trips from the Burnside to Alura. Alura's hold still had plenty of room. The Burnside, though, was packed with enough crates that the three loads now on the Alura were not noticeable.
An hour later, Cooper had moved fifteen stacks of crates. Alura's hold was getting tight, and he wanted to get one of the terra-forming tractors. Those could fetch ten million credits apiece. The whole load could fetch two hundred million, Cooper guessed.
Cooper stopped the grav cart at the intersection of corridors leading to the dining hall. He left the empty grav cart and walked down the now lighted corridor.
The dining area seemed even eerier in the light. In the dark, it was a forgotten mess. But, now, it was more like a sudden stop.
"Mitch!" he called hoping the dog had returned to the area with food.
"Alura," he asked, "can you scan the Burnside for Mitch?"
"Cooper, I am getting no readings for life signs on the Burnside."
"None."
"No, sir."
Cooper said, "But I'm here."
"That is unusual, sir. Let me run some diagnostics."
"How are your shields?"
"Shield capacity is at one hundred and twenty percent and holding."
"Great, the Skolean can't get in," Cooper said.
"That is correct, Cooper," Alura said, "however, we likewise cannot move."
"Thanks for looking on the bright side."
"I believe I have found the problem, Cooper. There is an interference blocking life sign readings."
"What is it?" he asked.
"I am not sure. I believe the interference is in the Burnside's sensor array. It may also be what was hampering the Burnside's sensor readings."
"Where is the sensor array?"
"According to the schematics, the sensor array is located in the engineering forward."
"Let's see what we have going on there," Cooper said. "Have you downloaded the captain's personal logs?"
"Yes, sir."
"He mentioned having suspected saboteurs. Can you see if he identifies them?"
"Yes, sir."
"Shaltia," Cooper said, "I'm going to see if I can find what the problem with the sensors is. What's the situation?"
"The Skoleans are trying to blast through our shields."
"Are they firing on Alura or the Burnside?"
"They are definitely targeting Alura."
"That seems odd. Can we fire back? We have enough firepower to decimate a planet."
Shaltia sighed, "I tried. While we are connected to the Burnside, we can't get the right angle."
"Fuck, talk about a rock and a hard place." Cooper was on the lift descending to engineering. "Does the Burnside have any weapons?"
Alura responded, "All armaments are offline."
"Perhaps we should look at that."
Alura answered, "I will attempt to diagnose that while I am looking for your dog."
"Snarky bitch," Cooper mumbled.
The lift doors opened on the engineering level. Cooper stepped into a maze of steel, pipes, and conduits. Moving aft, he slipped the laser pistol from his thigh. The pistol came up automatically as Cooper wound his way through engineering toward the forward sensor array.
"Alura, what do I need to look for?"
"The sensor array will be a large console with a three-hundred-sixty-degree display. The Burnside's array will have a red display."
"Got it. What could be causing interference?"
"That I cannot answer," Alura stated.
A tool tray was opened across the room. Finding a screwdriver, he began removing the front panel of the array. The inside looked like a mass of intestines with the cables and wires coiling together throughout.
"I have no idea what I'm looking at," Cooper mumbled.
"I would suggest looking at the converter relay."
"What the fuck is a converter relay?"
"The converter relay will be leading out of the junction box into the process node or into a process accelerator."
"The fuck are you talking about," Cooper said exasperatedly. "I don't know what any of those are."
"Cooper," Shaltia said, "find a box with wires coming out of it."
"Got it."
"Now follow the wires out until you find the converter relay."
Cooper banged his forehead against the console. "How do I know what's going in or out?"
"We don't really have time for a lesson in engineering."
His fingers traced over the wires.
"There's a little box bypassing this wire."
Alura responded, "That is probably the interference. You will need to remove the bypass and ensure that the wires are connected."
Twisting around so that he could get a better look at the piece, Cooper laid back his head and stared at the bypass. The wires were soldered in place. Lifting his knee, he unsheathed his smaller knife. The knife hooked the small wire feeding out of the main line and into the bypass. With a jerk of the knife, the wire snapped and a jolt of electricity hit him.
"Motherfucker!"
"Be careful, Cooper, there are several hundred volts of electricity powering the sensor array."
"No shit, I lost the hairs on my arm," he cursed as he pulled the bypass box off the main wire.
"Alura," he said, "I think the bypass is free. What can you see?"
"Cooper, you will need to reboot the sensor array."
Sliding out of the console, he sat up. Rebooting wasn't an issue. The console had a master switch that could cut the power. He threw the switch and the red console went dark. Waiting several seconds, he turned the switch on.
Cooper heard the creak of metal. His hand reflexively whipped to the pistol on his thigh. The engine room was silent. His head swept around looking for something.
"Mitch," he said hopefully.
Alura's voice came over the comm. "Cooper, the sensors are back online. I am reading life signs."
"Great," Cooper relaxed. "Where's Mitch?"
"Cooper," Shaltia's voice interrupted, "there are five life signs. One is in engineering with you."
"What? Please tell me it's Mitch." Cooper swept the room looking for another person.
"Get out of there," Shaltia said.
Cooper turned to run for the lift. The bulkhead behind him exploded as someone fired at him. Ducking behind a console, Cooper fired six blasts randomly.
Alura said in his ear, "A stray shot into one of the heating coils could create an overload in the system."
"Fuck that, a stray shot into me will cause a shut down of my system."
"I'm on my way," Shaltia said.
"No," Cooper yelled. He stood and fired three blasts. "I got this."
Two blasts fired over his head. Cooper returned fire again sporadically. The sensor array took a blast and sparked before exploding. The blast throwing shrapnel all around.
Cooper launched to his feet and sprinted down the walkway to the lift.
"Cooper," Shaltia said urgently in the comm. "Cooper. What happened? We lost sensors."
"My fault. I blew up the sensor array."
"What are you doing?"
she asked.
"I'm heading back to the cargo bay. You make sure Alura is locked down. No one can get on."
"Did you get a look at him?"
"No, I had my head down."
The lift opened and Cooper ran toward the cargo bay.
"Alura, can you lock the cargo doors?" Cooper asked as the cargo doors closed
"Yes, Cooper," the ship responded as the light on the door control panel turned red.
"Wait, Alura," he said as a thought hit him. "Did you say 'five life signs?'"
"Yes."
Shaltia said, "Wait, is Mitch one of the life signs?"
"Yes, he was on level seven in the rec area."
"If I'm one of those life signs. Then there's Sleeping Beauty and the one in engineering shooting at me."
"Who's the fifth one?" Shaltia asked.
The doors to the cargo bay made a clanging sound as something struck them from the outside.
"Oh, shit. I think I'm about to find out."
It Keeps Getting Better
The Skolean cruiser loomed in the forward port window. Another barrage of blasts struck the shields shaking the Alura, but having no effect on the energy field.
Shaltia checked the numbers again. The shield was still at a hundred and twenty percent. Her father had designed Alura with a new energy field generator that could protect the vessel if it flew into a small star. Shaltia hadn't attempted that feat yet, nor did she plan to try it. Even this generator would have its limitations. However, against a Skolean cruiser, the shielding was impenetrable.
Impenetrable might be their downfall, if they were unable to disengage long enough to either fire the particle matrix cannon or to engage the particle drive. They could be in for a siege. Which wouldn't be so bad, if it weren't for whoever was trying to kill Cooper at the moment.
"Alura, can you use our sensors to find whatever is attacking Cooper?"
"Captain Shaltia, we don't have to find it. The life form attacking Cooper is currently on deck three outside of the cargo hold."
"What is it?"
"Initial readings were indeterminate."
Another blast shook the Alura. Shaltia stared out the window at the cruiser aimed ominously at her.
"Unidentified cruiser," she said into the comm, as she attempted to hail the Skoleans for the eighth time, "please cease-fire and communicate with us."
Another barrage of blasts retorted.
"I guess that's how they communicate."
Shaltia straightened up. "Alura, I'm going to secure the airlock."
"Yes, Captain Shaltia."
Shaltia hurried down to the airlock. She closed the hatch and deadlocked it. Staring out the port, she considered the retractable airlock. The damned walkway was the only thing keeping them from defending against the Skolean or escaping.
"Alura," Shaltia queried, "what would happen if we jumped to light speed without detaching the airlock?"
"In that instance, the airlock could rip free from the Burnside, however, the risk of hull breach is increased. Damage to the hull would be inevitable."
"Could we maintain pressure?"
Alura responded, "It is unlikely we could maintain pressure in that instance."
"Can we remove the shield only from the Burnside while we detach?"
"We cannot disable our energy field."
Damn, she thought.
"If we shut off the shield and turn it back on immediately, what is the delay?"
"Approximately eight point three seconds."
Enough time for one blast from the Skolean cruiser to tear apart the hull. The timing would need to be exact, and even then it might not work.
"Shaltia," Cooper's voice came from the comm.
"Go ahead, Cooper." She hurried back to bridge.
"I'm in a bind here. Whatever is outside this door is about to tear through."
Shit, she thought.
"I'm coming to get you," she said.
"No, I just need an idea," he said, the tension in his voice escalating. "Is there another way out of this room? Backdoor, air vent, I don't care."
"Alura?" Shaltia questioned.
"According to the ship's schematics, the only air duct leading to the cargo hold on deck three only has a thirty-centimeter diameter."
"That won't work."
"I'm going to let it in."
Shaltia stepped onto the bridge. "Cooper, you idiot. Sit tight."
"Shal, he's going to break in eventually. I would prefer to be ready for him."
"Wait, we can think up something."
Cooper's tone was deflated, when he answered, "I'm game for whatever. But I'd rather stack the deck."
"Alura, give me the schematics of deck three."
A hologram of the deck layout showed the cargo hold. Two of the walls were exterior. The forward wall was connected to a corridor. If Shaltia could blow a hole in the wall, then Cooper could make a run for the lift from there. The girl in the tube was the only problem. Shaltia didn't like the idea of leaving her to the fate of whatever was trying to tear into the hold.
Fuck it, she thought.
"Alura, I need to blast through this wall."
"Judging from the composition of the wall and the alloy used to manufacture it, you would need an explosive equivalent to fourteen thousand five hundred and sixty-six joules of energy."
"Could a particle grenade work?" Shaltia asked.
"A particle grenade would put a fracture in the bulkhead, however, if the intent is to remove Cooper from the cargo hold, then you would need six particle grenades spaced one point three meters apart in a circle here." A section of the holographic wall turned red indicating the circular pattern. Alura continued, "However, then the risk of a deck collapse is increased forty-seven percent."
"Better than nothing," Shaltia said as she left the bridge.
"Captain Shaltia," Alura's automated voice sounded through the corridor, "if I may offer a suggestion. Cooper has a matrix blaster in his cabin. If modified the matrix blaster could produce the joule output to create a hole in the bulkhead."
"What do I need to modify it?" Shaltia asked.
"If you will connect the matrix generator to the comm port on the tactical board, I should be able to modify the safety settings. There is a twenty-eight percent chance that the blaster will detonate itself without the proper safety protocols. However, the odds of deck collapse using particle grenades are sixty-two percent."
Shaltia stopped in her tracks.
"Cooper, come in."
"I'm still here," he replied.
"Your matrix blaster, where is it?"
"What? Oh, it's in my quarters. Under the bunk. What's the plan?"
Shaltia headed toward Cooper's quarters. "I'm going to blow the forward wall."
"With a matrix blaster?"
"Alura needs to modify it."
"Hurry then. He seems quiet right now.
Shaltia stepped into Cooper's cabin. The bunk was unkempt. She dropped to her knees and reached under the bunk. The matrix blaster was there, along with another laser rifle and four laser cannons that should have been in the shipment to the Browmar rebels.
"Cooper, we might have to talk about your sticky fingers."
"Shal, it's five weapons."
"That was part of the deal we made."
She could hear Cooper sigh through the comm. "It was a shitty deal," he said.
Grabbing the matrix blaster, Shaltia headed to the bridge. "We can discuss it later."
On the bridge, she found the tactical comm port. Connecting the blaster, Shaltia told Alura, "She's all yours."
"One moment."
The Skolean ship began to rotate. Shaltia caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look as an alarm beeped on the tactical board.
"Captain Shaltia, another vessel has just appeared two hundred kilometers off our stern."
"What the fuck? Is it Skolean?"
"No," Alura said, "the vessel is a Hasian designed cutter. It is appr
oaching quickly with weapons armed."
"Cooper, we have a situation."
"Great," was the reply.
The second vessel fired on the Skolean cruiser.
"Did the cruiser take any damage?"
"No, however, the Skolean have ceased firing upon us. They are targeting the Hasian cutter."
They might fight it out with each other, Shaltia thought. That might give them the two minutes they need to disengage the airlock.
"Is the blaster ready?"
"Yes, Captain Shaltia."
Unhooking the blaster from the comm port, Shaltia said, "Cooper, I'm on my way to you. We have to move fast."
Running down the corridor, she heard Alura warn, "The matrix blaster will most likely overload after one or two pulses. I would recommend saving the pulses for the bulkhead."
"Will do, Alura." She opened the airlock, and said, "Deadlock the airlock behind me. Unlock it only for Cooper or myself."
"Yes, Captain Shaltia."
"And watch those cruisers."
"Captain Shaltia, the Hasian cutter is hailing us."
"Fuck," she said standing in the airlock. "Send it to the monitoring station here."
The screen on the wall flashed, and Shaltia moved over to it. A face appeared on the screen that Shaltia recognized.
"Cooper Montbarts, come in."
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
"Cooper's a little busy," Shaltia answered. "What can I do for you, Schwarz?"
"I'm here about a piece of property that Montbarts has."
An Unstoppable Beast
The door was buckling. Not bad. But enough. Grateful that Alura had sealed the cargo doors, Cooper realized that the lock wouldn't hold. Cooper could see the seal open a centimeter.
"Shaltia, I need an exit."
There was no answer.
"Shaltia!"
Finally, he called Alura.
"Captain Shaltia is in communication with the captain of the Hasian cutter."
"Will she be off anytime soon?"
"I cannot answer that, sir."
"Please tell her not to worry. She can chat it up with all the boys, I'm perfectly fine waiting."
"I will, sir."
Cooper groaned. We had to stop for a distress call, he rued to himself.
The next blow opened the door about five centimeters. Time was up. Cooper climbed on top of a surface spreader, a terraforming tractor used to spread organic material evenly prior to planting crops. He had a vantage point now ten meters above the door. Lying prone on the cab of the spreader, Cooper held his laser pistol at the ready.
Alura's Bind_Book One Page 5
