by Chris Burton
The hastily assembled command center aboard Yoshi’s new ship was not as it should be. The command sections related to weaponry and defense were too far away from his chair, and he found it difficult to get his orders understood. The new flagship was smaller but more agile than its predecessor, and Yoshi again wanted the vessel to play a key part in the next Alpha attack. Yoshi moved to his holographic battle map and studied the positions and numbers of both the enemy ships and his own carefully. He was used to challenging positions, but found it difficult to accept that much of their numerical advantage had gone. There were three times more Sentinel vessels than Alpha but his forces continued to lose out to their superior weaponry. It was time to act and be done quickly.
Yoshi is predictable, thought Rose. He tried to push the main body of the Sentinel Fleet forward so that they could launch a final offensive. This tactic would not work, because the Sentinel ships lacked the agility and cohesion to cause Alpha further major losses. Rose ordered the fleet to close in on the Sentinels. This was a mistake.
Yoshi anticipated such a move, and launched his nuclear attack more accurately because of the close proximity of the respective forces. The mass nuclear attack was unexpected and devastating. Rose’s ship took the full force of the aftershock which followed. Suddenly Rose’s world went black.
* * * *
He knew he was hurt. He could not get up, but remained conscious. The command bridge was reduced to a mass of smoldering workstations. Even with auxiliary power, the backup lighting was poor and with dust yet to settle and with several workstations still ablaze, there was still a great deal of confusion.
A medic lifted Rose into his chair and advised him that his leg was badly broken, but he was lucky. Rose only half-heard the medic as he strained to hear a conversation in the background. The ship powered back up and the secondary command bridge was already in operation.
The medic administered painkillers to Rose. Two orderlies lifted the Admiral to a hover stretcher and moved towards the exit to take him to the medical center.
“Stop,” said Rose. “Take me to the secondary command bridge.” The orderlies redirected the stretcher so that it headed, under their guidance, to the new command center two stories below. Rose didn’t have time to feel the pain, and the painkillers and shock helped to keep the pain at bay for now. He arrived at the command center two minutes later and immediately requested a status update.
Rose knew the new bridge crew, but they were not his number one team. The lead commander took a seat next to him and updated the Admiral on the Sentinels’ latest nuclear attack.
“The Sentinels destroyed about twenty of our ships and knocked out about fifteen others. They fared little better though, and their main fleet has broken up. We have commenced a one-to-one attack strategy, and we are trying to locate their new command ship. It is possible that Yoshi’s adopted vessel was destroyed in the blast. We will know more shortly.”
“What about the old flagship?”
“Destroyed in the last attack, sir, along with twenty-five jump ships and over one thousand troopers. This was a deadly attack, sir.”
“Who is in command of the fleet?”
“I am, sir. The senior commanders were all killed or badly injured. You are lucky to be alive.”
“Thank you Commander. I may be lucky, but I don’t feel lucky. I am assuming command. Get a medic up here to fix my leg, and launch ten squadrons of jump ships. We need to find Yoshi and put this battle to bed once and for all.”
The Commander started to protest but realized Rose was in no mood to compromise. “Aye, sir. Jump ships launching. Don’t worry, we will find Yoshi. This latest attack has backfired on them, sir.”
Chapter Forty-Four
The New Year
Winter finally hit Britain. A cold front swept across from Siberia, and the United Kingdom was in the midst of the worst snowfall and the lowest temperatures for ten years. Not that cold weather was unusual at this time of the year; in stark contrast to the other ten months of the year, January and February were usually cold with frequent frosts and snowfall. Temperatures frequently dropped below minus ten degrees Celsius, and each year the cold snap served as a reminder of the United Kingdom’s formerly cold climate. Today it was cold. Snow fell overnight laying a fresh blanket over the hardened layer of snow from last week.
The snowy white landscape surrounding the Academy looked different as Jake walked to the Academy. There was no sign of either Steve or Carla. Steve’s absence didn’t surprise him; he probably lay in bed, awaiting an alarm call—which would never come, as he had forgotten to set the alarm.
Carla’s absence was a cause for concern. She called Jake on Saturday evening from Australia to advise she would return home in the morning, and that she would catch up with him before college. She called again on Sunday morning to delay her return. He half-expected a call early this morning, but there was nothing. Jake was not the type to chase. People needed their own space. Carla hadn’t called for a reason.
She seemed distant when she called yesterday and the affection had gone from her voice. There was none of the usual sarcasm and humor. If Jake were paranoid, he’d think Carla avoided him. He missed her and needed to talk to her. Steve had been talking about reconciliation since the New Year. He asserted he cleaned up his act, and that Carla would inevitably want him back. This annoyed Jake, because he could not be one hundred percent certain Steve was wrong. Maybe Carla would go back to Steve. Was he being paranoid? Jake decided that if he hadn’t heard from her by close of play today, he would call her. He was not chasing her. He was expressing concern about her non-arrival, especially as today was the first day of the new term.
Jake entered the tutor’s class on his own. All the other students were already there, with Steve and Carla being the notable absentees. Jake heard the whispers. He distinctly heard one of the girls at the front of the tutor class assert that Steve and Carla were back together again. Jake sighed. Perhaps he should accept the inevitable Carla and Steve were together for three years. He and Carla for only a matter of weeks. Small wonder she might return to her former lover.
His thoughts were interrupted by the tutor, who entered the room carrying a bundle of hard copy files. Steve Costello followed into the room.
Steve sat down next to Jake and smiled. “Sorry I’m a bit late today. The alarm was not set again.”
Jake smiled and turned his attention to the tutor, who was speaking.
Where the hell is she? Still no contact and he kept his comm link open all day. Carla would normally have called by now. Jake brought the subject up with Steve as they walked home later that evening.
Steve laughed. “Perhaps she’s gone to find her sister again.”
Jake added that he thought it unlikely, but he would contact her later this evening when he returned to his apartment. He was alone and had time to reflect on Steve’s comments. Could she really have gone looking for her sister?
Jake decided enough was enough. He opened a comm link to Carla. There was no reply. Determined, he then spoke to Carla’s parents in the vain hope she left them with an idea about where she was going. Jake tried to remember the words Carla had used, when she explained her feelings about her sister and Winterburn, but her final comments were a little vague. She could have followed them, but where? Were they heading for the Tri-Star system?
Carla’s parents were alarmed to hear she may have gone missing. Jake tried not to alarm them, but it was clear they had no idea where their daughter might be. She left on Sunday morning and called two hours later to say that she was at her apartment.
This was bizarre. Jake checked his comm link again and, for good measure, checked his portal messages. He rebooted his comm link and servers to ensure that was no malfunction. There were no messages.
Jake awoke in the morning with still no messages. He contacted his tutor directly at home, apologizing for his early intrusion and explained that he had tried to establish Carla’s whereabouts. His tutor wa
s not immediately forthcoming, but Jake pushed, explaining that it was critical that his tutor divulge anything he knew. Eventually, the tutor revealed he received a portal message on Sunday evening. It came from Carla’s home server, which suggested she had been to her apartment. The message was a little unclear. She took leave of absence to deal with a family matter. She apologized and advised she would be in contact within a few days.
Jake thanked the tutor and told him he would not be in for lessons today, as he needed to concentrate on finding Carla. His tutor was a little taken aback, but accepted the excuse because Jake’s attendance record to date hadn’t been an issue. Jake hung up and then opened a comm link to Steve.
“Steve, we have a problem. Carla has definitely gone A.W.O.L.” Jake went onto explain his findings in detail and awaited Steve’s response.
“Well, we have to let her get on with it. I am sure she will be back in a few days.”
“For God’s sake, Steve. She disappeared without telling her parents or either of us here she was going. She is probably half way to the Tri-Star system by now, and if that’s the case she could be in real danger.”
“I don’t see what we can do. We have the Top Gun final in four days. I am sure she will be in contact before then. Let’s see where things lie in a week.”
“I don’t get it Steve. I thought you were committed to get her back. Aren’t you even worried?”
“Yes, I am, but I have long since learned that Carla sometimes needs to be left to her own devices. We have to let this go and concentrate on the Top Gun for this week.
Jake spent the rest of the day trying, but failing, to heed Steve’s words. He felt the wrath of Winterburn and he didn’t like it. He didn’t trust the man, could not begin to contemplate what Winterburn’s ultimate intentions were. He tried to study but could not concentrate, and was beginning to regret the decision to stay at home. Ultimately he knew if she didn’t make contact soon, he would have to do something, even if it meant missing the Top Gun final. He was just about to reboot his server for the umpteenth time today when he finally received a message from Carla.
The message came in the form of a delayed portal message. Carla left it on Sunday morning, with a delay meaning it would not be delivered to Jake’s comm server until Tuesday evening. The message was curt and lacked feeling, apart from the final sentence, where Carla said she missed him. This was not the Carla Jake knew.
“Hi Jake. By now you will have spoken to my parents and persuaded our tutor to divulge the contents of my message to him. I have to go to Joely. She needs me. I have delayed this message to you because I don’t want you to follow me. I will be fine. I will contact you again in a few days. Please don’t follow. I miss you and I will be home soon.”
This left as many questions as he had answers. So she had followed Joely. Jake reflected further for a few moments, and decided he would heed her request for the time being. He would leave it until Friday, and if she hadn’t made contact again by then, then he would review the situation and decide whether to take further action.
He opened a comm link to Carla’s parents, who were grateful for Jake’s update. Initially they urged Jake to go after her, but backed off when he insisted he must heed her request not to. Carla’s father was all for following himself, but was dissuaded by his wife and Jake. He offered Jake the use of his yacht, which with its SD3 capability would minimize any journey time should they decide Jake should follow after all.
Jake felt better about things. Carla made contact and he knew he had the use of a fast ship should he need it. He decided to turn in early. Tomorrow was another day and he needed to get back to his academic life. This was still important after all.
He returned to the Academy on Wednesday and immersed himself in his study. Geometric Math, jump ship training, Parade and Quantum Mechanics left Jake feeling jaded at the end of the day, so he declined Steve’s offer of a trip to the bar and opted again for an early night.
On Thursday, most of the day was taken up with Sabre jump ship training, close quarter attack strategies and low terrain hugging across the African plains. Again Jake was tired, but the day was enjoyable, not least because he was able to pit his wits against Steve and some of his other close adversaries. The Sabres were Jake’s favorite, and for most of the day he allowed his thoughts to drift away from Carla. He opted for an evening out with Steve, because he knew Steve would not drop after being in such a high. They both consumed too much alcohol, but stopped short of total inebriation. Steve spent much of the evening flirting with some fresher’s but backed off when Jake prompted a return to their apartments. As they walked back to their respective homes, Jake again broached the subject of Carla.
“You were trying to get lucky tonight Steve. I thought you were holding out for Carla?”
“Not much chance of that, is there? She buggered off and left me. It’s been a while and I think I stand a chance with one or two of them. I said we would see them again tomorrow night.”
“Tomorrow is Friday night and we have the Top Gun final on Saturday morning. You need to make up your mind how you feel about Carla. She is in a potentially dangerous situation and all you are concerned with is your bloody loins.”
“If you’re so bloody worried about her, why don’t you go after her? I think you are after Carla again.”
Jake resisted the temptation to respond to Steve’s confrontational and drunken challenge. This was going nowhere and he decided to change the subject.
“Don’t be daft. We need to concentrate on our studies and the Top Gun. There’ll be plenty of time for ladies later.”
On Friday morning, Jake awoke later than usual, with a hangover. He drank far too much last night. He was cross with himself for letting Steve influence him so near to the Top Gun and, more specifically, to his deadline for a decision as to what to do about Carla.
He checked his comm link and server for messages and then took a long shower. He felt apprehension again. It was three days since Carla’s original message and her sixth day gone. How far has she got and how did she get there? She didn’t have access to a fast ship, which meant she either hitched or hired a cruiser.
This didn’t fill him with confidence. He also had a conflict to deal with. Did he participate in the Top Gun or not? If he went after Carla, should he follow now or on Sunday after the Top Gun? What would he say to the Academy if he did go, and how long would he be away? He didn’t have to wait long for the answers to his questions. Carla sent Jake a further delayed portal message which sat on his server as he accessed his comm station for the second time today. The message this time was longer and more self-assured. She seemed more confident in her actions but expressed anxiety as to why she was doing what she was doing.
“Hi Jake. I am really sorry to keep sending you delayed messages, but it is really important that you don’t follow me. I left my parents last Sunday and charted a light cruiser from Melbourne Space Port. Cost me a fortune, but I felt I must go. I felt compelled to follow Joely about two days after Christmas. I put it off at first, but the feeling became stronger. I can’t really explain it, but all I know is I must go. I am on route to the Tri-Star system to rendezvous with Winterburn’s research vessel. The cruiser has SD capability so it should only take a few weeks. I sent a message to my parents and another message to the Academy, so all should be okay. I miss you but you must not follow me. I will contact you again soon. Love, Carla xx”
Jake’s worst fears were coming to light. There was something strange about Winterburn. Jake witnessed it first hand before Christmas, but he could not put his finger in it. Winterburn compelled Carla and others to follow him. Why? That was too big a question, but Winterburn certainly influenced her in some way. Jake must follow her, and yet she twice asked him specifically not too. Why was she doing this? He was grateful she had contacted him again, but what was she getting herself into? Jake let out a deep sigh and opened a comm link to Carla’s parents. It was time to decide what action he should take and when. He
could not just let her go to Winterburn. This was not jealousy; he was concerned about her safety.
Carla’s parents received a message from Carla a few hours before, and had spent much time discussing it. They quickly asserted their wish for Jake to go after Carla. Her father prepared his yacht; he insisted Jake use the ship. He would bring the ship to Jake’s apartment tomorrow, and Jake should leave on Sunday. They both knew this was important for Jake personally and insisted that he defer his chase until after the event’s completion. Jake agreed and hung up. He knew what he must do. He must tell his tutor and Steve. He didn’t want Steve to come with him and Jake realized that it suited him that Steve was looking for love elsewhere. He was wary of Steve’s apparently relaxed attitude. Possibly Steve hid his true feelings.
He dressed, took breakfast and made ready for his morning at the Academy. He had classes today up to one p.m. with his afternoon free for private study, giving him the opportunity to prepare for his trip before concentrating on the Top Gun Final tomorrow.
Chapter Forty-Five
The Final Top Gun Event
Steve was in a determined mood. This is what he waited for; the opportunity to prove once and for all he was the best pilot in the Academy and no one else even came close. He woke early and took a short run, before carrying out some warm down exercises, showering and partaking in an energy max breakfast. He prepared as he always did for the Top Gun event, thoroughly. No one would have an advantage over him because they were more fit or had greater stamina.
The main threat was Jake, but he knew Jake’s weakness: conformity and the avoidance of risk. This would be his downfall today as each candidate went that extra mile to achieve their competitive best. That meant Jake would stop short of over-exerting his ship and crossing the ship’s maximum boundaries. Steve knew how to go beyond the theoretical limits, and today he would show everyone just what that meant.
If he was driven today, it was not just the Top Gun which drove him. Steve was worried, very worried. Carla had involved herself in something far too big to comprehend. She was so entrenched that she broke off their relationship because, somehow, this Winterburn got to her.
