by Casey Herzog
Alphred had moved further away and seemed to be engaged in some call on the communicator. Peter tried to listen in.
“Alphred, it is good that you are there now. I need you and your team to go down to central engineering and secure the life support systems. If someone is aboard the ship, they might have used that first detonation to keep our eyes elsewhere.”
Peter was surprised to see Minerva pull away from the wall and stand next to her commander. Her hands were balled into fists and she stood taller than he had ever seen her before. “What about the shuttles? He could be trying to get off station!”
Alphred glanced to Peter, but did nothing to interfere with Minerva's actions..
“We have members of Saturn and Mars securing the shuttles. Please just head down to engineering and make sure the area is secure. Do you need me to send you directions?”
“No, thank you, I know the way.” Minerva gave an answer without hesitation and stalked off down the corridor at a blistering pace. Her body still seemed to shake as she moved, but it wasn't purely grief that had hold of her. Peter and Alphred followed her, neither daring to question Minerva nor suggesting she return to her quarters. They could easily have guessed what her answer to that would be.
CHAPTER 18
The Engineering center of Mar Station was housed near the bottom of the central spire. Floating through the Zero-G, Peter struggled to keep up with Min and Alphred, who both shot down the emptied corridor at an amazing speed. When they reached the bottom, Minerva opened a hatch leading into the engineering room, and looked up to Peter as he closed the distance. Her mismatched eyes held a vastly different quality to what he was used to. She looked at him with eyes narrow and pursed lips.
“Come on, hurry up. If the man who did this is still aboard I want to find him myself.”
Her declaration gave Peter fresh pause, and he wondered if he should try and suggest she return to her quarters. All regulations suggested it was dangerous to remain on active duty after receiving emotional stress, and he could think of nothing more stressful than the death of family.
He kept his mouth shut, took a deep breath, and concentrated on his movements as he passed through the open hatch and into the engine room.
The space was small and cramped. Peter had to grab a wall stanchion quickly to prevent hitting his head on the low ceiling. Alphred, was already floating near a monitor, eyes occasionally glancing to the pipe sections.
“Any signs of tampering?” Minerva's voice was robotic. She followed just behind Peter and pushed past him to inspect the same data panel Alphred was looking at. Peter moved further back and let them work. He was out of his depth here, just as he had been the last time they had faced something like this.
“I can't see anything immediate. All critical systems seem to be behaving normally. A few pipes have blown up near the Mess Hall...but we know what caused that.”
Minerva crossed her arms as she studied the screen. “Come on...who did this?” She mumbled to herself. “You're only looking at critical systems: oxygen, nuclear core. Bring up the wider station systems...water supply.”
Alphred complied in silence, both gazing intently at the new readout.
Peter looked behind him, peering through the mess of pipes and wires that stretched out around. They were all shrouded in darkness, the only light seeming to come from the single light over the main console.
“Is it always this dark here?”
Minerva turned. “What?” She stared at Peter, then turned her attention back to the console.
“This is engineering, shouldn't there be lights all over these pipe tangles so you can see what you're doing for maintenance? Why's it so dark?” Peter's second question brought the attention of his companions back to him.
Alphred frowned and looked about, floating away from the screen he had been examining at before.
“Yes, it shouldn't be this dark here. Tharsis, can you engage the other lights for this room.”
Minerva turned to the screen, rubbing her eyes and blinking twice as she tried to wrestle with the computer.
“No... they’re already on? But how can that be?”
As if to answer her, a harsh tearing sound could be heard from somewhere deep within the tangle of pipes and valves. Peter jumped, reeling backwards as he saw sparks flying from some dark corner, an ominous figure illuminated by their light. Whoever it was wore an EVA suit. The sparks from their saw reflected in the glass of their sealed helmet.
“Shit, we need to evacuate now!” Alphred grabbed Peter and practically threw his body up through the service hatch. “Minerva, the nearest section seal?” Alphred looked down when the question was not immediately answered. “Minerva!”
Peter followed his commander's gaze. Minerva was still in the engineering room, staring blankly ahead at the sparks that lit up the far side of that room. She was stalled, frozen in a moment. Even Alphred's call didn't seem to reach her, and Peter watched as she grabbed a spanner from a magnetized storage container on the wall.
“I'll get her, warn the other commanders and hail the Unity.” Peter gripped a bar, and forced his body back downward, plummeting back into the engineering room fast enough to intercept Minerva. She was already stalking forward towards the tangle of pipes. He could only guess what she meant to do with the wrench she held. She didn't seem to care that she wouldn't stand a chance.
In his eagerness to intercept her, Peter didn't have time to work on his landing. It was still his weakest area in all EVA work, and he crashed into the floor hard. The sound of sheering metal drowned out his curse as he hit the deck. It was enough, however, to stop Minerva in her tracks. She blinked in surprise as Peter struck down in front of her like a bolt of thunder. She looked ahead at the man cutting away at the bowels of the station, then to Peter. He didn't give her time to think. Grabbing her hand to right himself, Peter grabbed another bar and began to haul her out of the engine room with him. “Leave him. We aren't going to get him like this. He's going to-.”
The words were stolen from Peter's mouth. A wind picked up in the chamber, except it wasn't wind at all. The fierce gale was the air being sucked out from a fissure in the station. Whoever was sawing through the hull had made it through. It was his escape route.
“Let’s go!” Peter roared the instruction, so as to be heard over the din of whistling air.
Minerva at last complied, pushing her own body through the hatch door and upward. They could see Alphred floating near a panel above them. No doubt he had located a shutter and was preparing to cut off that that part of the station, sealing it away to prevent a loss of air throughout the rest of the vessel.
The roar of wind became louder, and Peter could feel a pull on his body, as though he were being dragged down. He pictured the inky darkness of space coming for him, its fingers grabbing him, desperate to claim him forever amongst the infinite abyss.
He wouldn't let that happen.
Rather than floating under his own steam, he began to cling to the metal rungs of the corridor, climbing upward as if on a ladder. He didn't dare risk anything more, in case the suction got him. Minerva was far quicker, seeming confident as she pulled herself up through the shaft and taking her place by Alphred's side. She reached downward and offered Peter a hand, catapulting him up the last little way as their commander brought down the section seal to cordon off engineering from the rest of the ship.
Peter took long grateful breaths as the air around him normalized. His body relaxed to feel the stillness, reassuring himself that he was out of danger. But of course, that was far from true.
Minerva floated near to Peter, rubbing his back. “Come on, get a hold of yourself. We need to get after them.”
“What?” Peter asked the question while gasping for more air. He couldn't believe Alphred or Minerva were thinking of taking this further. “It's Mars Cohort's problem now. Surely-.” He was not allowed to finish. A hand struck his face, right over his scar. It was a hard blow and he clutched his cheek as he
recoiled from Minerva in surprise.
“We need to get after them now. Mars and Jupiter Cohort are spread all over the ship trying to hold the place down. I'm the best pilot on Unity; we need to get to a shuttle and pursue him.”
Peter gritted his teeth and looked to Alphred for support, but there was none to be found from his commander. “I agree, Peter. Whoever was down there is likely outside the ship now. They'll probably be trying to reach a shuttle and commandeer it from the outside. A sensible plan considering Mars Cohort would have blockaded the airlocks. We'll need to pursue and prevent them from escaping to Phobos with a shuttle.”
“Alphred, let them go! Surely, looking to the safety of the crew here-.”
“For God's sake, stay here if you want. Commander, we're wasting time.” Once again, Peter found himself cut off by Minerva. Her every fiber and molecule seemed different now. It was as if some alien being had crawled under her skin and now operated her like a puppet. And what bothered Peter most about it was how little Alphred seemed to care.
Peter watched as Minerva and his commander shot upwards, climbing through the station and coming to a stop near the airlocks high above him. He wondered if he should remain. He remembered back to his first day in space: being the third wheel to Alphred and Minerva's operation to stall the rogue shuttle heading toward the Unity. A voice in the back of his mind whispered that he would only hold them back here. But even with that voice in his head, Peter found his body moving, following his commander and his friend. Even if he was useless to them here, he wasn't going to let them go alone.
As he reached the airlock, Peter could hear Alphred already talking in heated voice to someone over the communicator. Minerva hung near his side and shot Peter a strange look as he approached. It started as a smile, or the beginnings of one. However, before it could fully materialize, she quashed it down, banishing it from her face altogether. “So, you're coming then?” Her tone was severe, almost mocking. It wasn't her, and Peter chose to ignore it.
“Yes, I'm coming, just try and stop me.” He flashed a smile of his own, trying to break whatever spell had come over his friend since she was wrested from her dead mother's side. If it had anything effect on Minerva, she didn't let it show on her face. She turned back to Alphred and the two listened in to his conversation.
“Unity, please hurry. We need confirmation on our course. Mars Cohort are refusing us access to the shuttle.” As Alphred spoke, Peter glanced towards the two guards in front of the airlock doors. Though they had been his crew for the last eight months, all ties seemed to be lost now. Mars Cohort had reached their destination and were determined to show their mettle in their own way. This act of terror was theirs to solve and it seemed they were not about to let another cohort take any credit for securing the Mars system for Earth.
A long and tense silence filled the corridor. Even the two guards seemed to be listening intently to Alphred's communicator. “Commander Armstrong, this is Admiral Gayle. You have my personal authorization to proceed.”
Peter glanced to the two guards. They remained in place. He didn't know if they were going to move at all, but suddenly their own communicators flashed to life. “Move aside, let them go. We must follow, the Admiral's wishes.” It was the commander of Mars Cohort. It seemed only his mattered to these two, and they moved aside the moment he had given his authorization. Though it was hardly the time, Peter found himself worrying about just how much influence Mars Cohort’s Commander wielded over his cohort.
Alphred and Minerva wasted no time in passing the two guards. Moving to the row of EVA suits hung about the wall, they pulled themselves into them in a hurry. “Peter, come on.”
Once again, Minerva's urgent order brought him round to his senses. He pushed past the two guards and found a suit of his own, slipping into it quickly. He did not need any help this time, neither with his helmet or securing his seals. It seemed he was at least a little more prepared for this mission.
The shuttle the trio now entered was of a very different design to the sleek personnel carrier they had taken from Earth. This shuttle was designed for hauling minerals from Mars' various mining centers, as well as its twin moons. It's hold, therefore, was massive and its cockpit tiny. There were only two seats, and Peter deferred to Minerva and Alphred, knowing he would be of limited use behind the controls of the ship.
“Peter, I am going to put you in charge of communications with the Unity. Keep them abreast of our status and relay any information they send us.”
“Can't you just patch them through the shuttle's coms?” Peter didn't know why he was arguing.
“I want to be able to focus on the controls. I haven't piloted these older shuttle models.” Alphred's answer didn't gel with what Peter was seeing. The commander seemed right at home, already activating systems and peering knowingly at different gauges.
“You're doing fine, Commander. If it makes you feel better, I've been piloting this sort of craft far longer than any other shuttle in circulation. Disconnecting from docking clamps on my mark.”
Peter watched the viewport as the stars shifted. The shuttle began to move away from Mars Station, but with no word on their target.
Minerva wheeled her head around to Peter. “Find out what the situation is with the other shuttles. Whoever we found sawing through the hull, they will try to escape in one of them.”
Peter nodded and fumbled with his communicator. “Unity, this is Peter Gabell. Do we have any word from Mars Station on shuttle activity beyond our own?”
A familiar voice came over the relay. “Peter, it's Nisha. Admiral Gayle has tasked Pluto Cohort to provide you intel support.”
Peter blinked and looked down at the communicator, half expecting a sign to light up saying 'just kidding.'
“Really, they're going to test us now?”
There was the sound of a rough laugh on the other end. “Trust me, I'm not thrilled by it either, but I'll do my best. I'm not going to flake on you like in EVA.”
Minerva wheeled her head around again. “Peter, Info, now! Talk shop later!” That note of frustration and mounting anger still lingered in Minerva's voice as she growled her order.
It seemed Nisha must have heard her second in command as she at once came back to the matter at hand. “Okay, I'm receiving word now...” There was a momentary delay. “Mars Station has just had a second hull breach on their shuttle wing. Yep, it seems whoever you're tracking has a shuttle and forced a disconnection from dock. Shit, they ripped out a whole door on takeoff.”
Peter's eyes widened in alarm as he asked, “Casualties?”
“Worry about that later,” Minerva barked. Peter glanced to the cockpit, not daring to argue with the single-minded entity that now had hold of his friend.
“I think we're good on that score, Peter. The shuttle is veering away from Mars Station, moving toward Phobos. Confirm.”
Peter didn't know if it was necessary to relay what Nisha had told them, the communicator was loud enough for everyone to hear. “Nisha, what are Command’s orders? Min is already moving into a pursuit vector. I don't know if we can catch up to them though.”
“We can do it,” Minerva assured, this time keeping her vision locked dead ahead. Their shuttle had just finished rounding past Mars Station and was now in pursuit of a speck in the distance.
Alphred leaned forward in his chair and pointed to the distant shuttle. “Its angle is changing sporadically. Likely their violent disconnect from the station has already crippled some of their systems. We'll catch her easily.”
“I'm going to ram her!” Minerva's declaration caught Peter off guard. He was still waiting for Command to issue orders, but it seemed their pilot had already decided on her course.
“Commander Tharsis, delay that. We cannot risk the destruction on both shuttles and Pluto Cohort’s entire command structure.” Nisha's voice was hesitant as she spoke out against her superior.
“I agree.” Alphred had not yet taken control of the ship from Minerva, b
ut his body was tense, ready to spring into action if needed.
“Just maintain course for now.” Nisha added. “The Admiral and chiefs are devising a course of action as we speak.”
“Why can't we play it the same as last time?” Peter asked after a moment's thought. His mind had been replaying that first action against the secessionists over and over the past few moments.
“Don't be silly,” Minerva snapped. “We had hook cables and cutting gear last time. You're not going to be able to-.”
This time is was Peter's turn to interrupt her. “-That shuttle already has a gaping hole in it...otherwise how would the terrorist have made it inside from outside the hull of the station.”
Alphred nodded. “He's got a point. Even if he had another means of entry to exploit, it is reasonable to assume we can get in the same way.”
Minerva kept her eyes, dead ahead, locked on the fast approaching shuttle. “And what's your plan for getting over to that shuttle.”
