by Marc Stevens
Coonts got a look that usually meant he wanted the last word. He spits it out before I could tell him to wait, and we would listen to his ideas before we showed the plans to the Zaens. It was not what I expected.
“Justice, I have not been able to locate the projectile weapon the Commander gave me. I would like it returned to my locker if you have finished studying it.”
The Grawl sounded a little indignant. I was also a little puzzled by the pistol’s disappearance. “Justice, are there any experiments with the pistol that we should know about?”
“No, Commander. I found there was little I could do to improve its design. I have already returned it to Coonts’ weapon locker.”
Coonts now stood with his arms crossed and a smirk parked on his face. Justice decided he would change the Grawl’s attitude, and not for the better.
“Commander, I have built a new weapon. Its initial design will be portable. If my new armor design is implemented, it will be mounted on the left appendage of the suit. There is enough clearance to mount it on the lower forearm underneath the needle gun and tube launcher. The munitions pack clips onto the launcher pack and will hold one thousand rounds. I have redesigned the .44-caliber ammunition to enhance its penetration and upgraded the level of explosive discharge. The new weapon was designed to suppress enemy fire. Since Coonts is enamored with your Earth projectile weapon, I will lighten my workload by not building an additional weapon for him.”
The Grawl’s eyes were bugging out and his mouth hanging open. Judging by the expression on his face, spite must taste like shit. It was time to be done with the games and get to work.
“All right everyone, you have your jobs, so let’s get to work.”
Coonts snapped his mouth closed and stalked off. I did not know if Justice was yanking his crank or if he actually had no intention of building a weapon for him. At some point, I would figure it out. If he did not, I would tell him to build one for Coonts as well. Not having heavy combat armor was bothering me to the point I felt it was something that should be addressed sooner rather than later. Klutch and I had no engineering background and had very little to do with the repairs to the Legacy. It would be a good learning experience and a shakedown cruise of sorts to take one of the new shuttles for a little excursion. Tria would not like the idea of me going without her, but she was needed here for the repairs and refit of the Legacy.
I pulled Klutch aside and told him what I was thinking. He gave me a big toothy smile and took off to get his gear moved to the Shuttle.
“Justice, are you now in control of the shuttles?”
“Yes, Commander. The shuttles have been thoroughly examined and all systems analyzed. I have yet to install the combat landing equipment, but the shuttles are mission ready in all aspects.”
“Okay Justice, how long will it take us to reach the outpost where the Zaens have set up shop?”
“Transition time will be one hundred and six hours Commander.”
“What is the estimated repair and refit time for the Legacy?”
“Two hundred and eleven hours with all personnel working extended work periods. Two hundred and seventy-two if you intend on mounting the anomaly weapon.”
“Until we can make it operational, there is no good reason to mount it. I do however want to replace both of the Galactic weapons. I want another of the base’s defensive weapons pulled out of its silo and mounted on the Legacy. Mount them where the Galactic weapons used to be and leave the anomaly weapon bay empty for the time being.”
“That will extend the refit time an additional forty-two hours, Commander.”
“I hope we will be back well before then. We still do not know if your new design will be acceptable to Zaen manufacturing processes. We may be subjected to an extended stay if they do accept your design. I want you to move all equipment and supplies you think will be needed for the trip. I also want you to talk with Coonts and at least listen to his suggestions. Give me a heads up when you are ready to go.”
“Acknowledged, Commander.”
It was now my unenviable job to break the news to the other half of my crew. I did not think I had ever knowingly made Tria angry but had a feeling I was getting ready to. As I approached her she turned and cocked an eyebrow. That uncanny sixth sense she possessed was cueing her in that I was up to something. In hopes of easing any tension, I planted my best Earthman kiss on her. She took a step back and crossed her arms waiting for me to admit what I was up to. Her piercing emerald eyes were boring into me.
I gulped and tried to smile but was finding it difficult. “Tria, I have been thinking about our safety and surviv—”
She embraced me and gave me a kiss then said: “Nathan, you are still my Commander and you do not need to explain your intentions. That being said, I must tell you I have never considered choosing a mate. Please do not make me go through the process of finding another. If you do not come back to me, my spirit will make your afterlife very unpleasant.” She leaned in and whispered, “You should not stay away long.”
My legs suddenly turned to rubber and I staggered forward into her. She held me up and kept me from falling. She gave me a small chuckle and an alarming smile that turned serious. “You must keep the Oolaran demon at bay and all will go well. My spirit will be with you and give you strength.”
She kissed me again and went back to her repairs. I was still having difficulty getting my legs to function properly. I had a serious amount of second thoughts but knew I would serve my comrades better by getting us new armor. I saw Coonts standing on the Legacy’s boarding ramp, and he did not look happy either.
“Commander, all preparations for departure are complete. I took the liberty of bringing our surplus battle suits we liberated from the Murlak. There is the possibility the Zaens might be able to resell them to the Murlak at some future date. They serve no useful purpose here. I have also included several of our exotic minerals and materials in the event the Zaens will manufacture my new armor design.”
“OK Justice, I am on my way. The sooner we leave the sooner we will be back.”
I walked up to the rear of the shuttle and made my way up the cargo ramp. Justice had retracted all of the troop jump seats back into the deck and I was surprised to see the large hold was at a third of its capacity. I was not going to second guess the A.I. as to why this was and boarded without comment. I went up to the flight deck and found Klutch already strapped in and waiting. It looked like he was napping. I called to him and he startled. It was not one of my brighter ideas. The scent in the cockpit turned to a less than delightful bouquet. I tried my best to pretend I did not notice. The Tibor threw his hands up and displayed his big gray choppers. I strapped in next to him and watched as Justice highlighted the startup sequence switches. Klutch followed the cues and a low hum filled the cockpit.
“Outer doors open, Troop Master.”
Klutch looked over at me and waited.
“Take us out, Troop Master.”
The Tibor smiled and in the blink of an eye we were in open space. I swallowed hard because I was pretty sure Klutch had made the exit manually. It was hard to believe his smile could get any bigger, but it did as he opened up the star drives to full power. Our forward view turned to a tunnel with a white spot at the end. Judging by the size of the Troop Master’s eyes, the shuttle was crazy fast.
Justice’s A.I. double broadcast over our comm system. “Jump coordinates locked and transition status optimal.”
The flight controls and ship readouts were the same on both sides of the cockpit. I saw a matching set of switches become highlighted and Klutch reached out and pressed his. My stomach got slightly queasy and I felt a little itchy. The forward view went from a bright flaring white to the dark shimmering gray of hyperspace. I looked around the roomy cockpit at the large array of dials, gauges and view screens. Justice ran me through the locations of the weapons and emergency equipment options. We would spend the next hundred plus hours learning to pilot the shuttle and use all of i
ts systems.
When we were not working on the flight systems, we were familiarizing ourselves with the new Chaalt recon armor. It was lightweight and durable but could not take prolonged abuse. I had already witnessed firsthand what would happen when they are exposed to sustained fire and corrosives. The armor had some unique combat systems. On command, four claws could be extended from the tops of the armored gloves and boots. They had powered edges and tips that could be used for fighting or climbing. When powered, you could sink them into rock or metal and climb straight up. The helmet was also a slick piece of engineering. It could pop out of the large collar and enclose your head in a matter of seconds. The armor was not capable of making you invisible, but it could mimic any background you stood against. I liked messing with the unlimited color schemes. I was constantly changing the suit’s color and finally quit when I saw Klutch giving me funny looks.
I got bored and went to the hold to root around in the equipment that Justice had loaded. I was surprised at the number of artifacts he decided to bring along. He must have thought we needed to sweeten the pot to get what we wanted. It would be great if we could get the suits by bartering the surplus Murlak armor and some of our artifacts. I was not going to take any chances and had credit vouchers in my pocket that amounted to more than twenty billion credits.
When I started checking out the storage lockers, I found two with complete weapon loadouts. Justice made sure we had the tools to meet any contingency. I noticed a crate with several cylinders in it. They resembled aerosol containers about the size of a small hairspray can. I picked one up and looked at it. It was covered in diamond shaped protrusions that were wrapped around a central core. When Klutch saw me examining the device, he cautioned me to be careful.
“Commander, use caution when handling that device. It is an anti-personnel weapon.”
I carefully put the weapon back in the crate. “I take it this was one of the gifts from the Operative?”
“Yes, Commander. It is cutting-edge tech and expensive to produce. The Operative supplied two shipping containers full of them.”
“It looks a little large to be throwing any distance. What is the blast radius?
“They can detonate in a single discharge and the shrapnel is deadly to about one hundred yards. They can also use centrifugal force to disperse the shrapnel. When activated, they spin with such velocity the projectiles can penetrate medium armor. They can hover and wait for targets to appear then attack in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of fire. It is an excellent area denial weapon. They can identify friend from foe and will attack until all of the projectiles are expended. The central core will then detonate or dissolve. Either way, it leaves no evidence of its design or manufacturer.”
“You ever use them before?”
“No, Commander. I read the manual on the data pad Justice left in the cockpit. I suggest you do the same. One never knows when they might come in handy.”
17
The manual was interesting reading but did not keep me from falling asleep. I was startled awake by Klutch shaking me.
“Commander, Justice has an active thread on the Guardian transponder.”
I sat upright shaking my head, trying to clear the sleepy fog from my thoughts. I did not know Justice had brought the transponder but should have known better. It would have served no useful purpose back at Alpha base.
“What’s going on Justice?”
“Commander, I was not going to wake you when the thread was first discovered. I was going to log its location for future reference and investigation. The nature of this thread is unusual. It is unlike previous signals. Klutch and I have discussed the matter and believe it warrants investigation.”
“What makes the thread different?”
“The thread is a yellow segmented line that is blinking at a constant cycle. No thread has exhibited these characteristics.”
“OK Justice, let’s take a quick look and then get back on our current mission.”
“Affirmative Commander, I will transition to normal space time for a course correction and target acquisition.”
We dropped from hyperspace to get a firm read on the distance to the thread’s terminus. I was feeling antsy because we had no idea what we would find. The Guardian transponder was an amazing artifact. It had proven to be a skeleton key of sorts that granted access to Guardian equipment and a compass pointing the way to hidden artifacts. We had no way of knowing what its true capabilities were.
“Commander, the thread seems to be pointing to a destination in the void and not a star system. It appears to be a location in a large dust and gas nebula.”
Klutch voiced his alarm. “Commander, that would be a very good place to be ambushed by pirates.”
“Justice, let’s go in stealthy until we can figure out what we are looking at. If it is some kind of hidden base, we will record its location and come back to investigate later. I don’t want to take any chances of this being a trap.”
“Commander, the systems aboard this shuttle for stealth operations are not as sophisticated as the Legacy’s. I will approach our target with extreme caution.”
“We need to see what we can do about that shortcoming. If you can improve the Chaalt systems, I want it done when we return to base.”
“I have plans to upgrade the cloaking and negation systems of both the Legacy and our new shuttles once we return to Alpha base. It will deplete our current stockpiles of exotic minerals, but the benefits will be substantial.”
We swiftly entered the edges of the nebula. At first it was like flying through cloud formations, as my friend Karl and I used to do when we were young. It quickly turned to a dense, dark haze dotted here and there by the glow of distant star forming regions.
“Commander, as we close with the target area, the shuttle’s sensors are burning through the dust formations. I am picking up what might possibly be a debris field. Its unusual shape might also indicate it is something else.”
“What do you mean by something else?”
“Commander, it might be a large spacecraft of an unknown design. I will put the sensor readouts on a view screen and transpose the data into a coherent picture.”
Klutch and I both frowned at what we were seeing on our displays. It looked like an oblong junkyard. Justice was now weaving us in and out of large fields of accumulated rock. Our target was in a clearing in the fields.
“Commander, the target is a ship of an unknown design and appears to be heavily damaged. I can make out deck structures and interior spaces.”
As we neared the alien vessel I could not believe what I was looking at. The thing was a monstrosity of melded together junk. There was not one straight line anywhere to be seen. It was protrusions of every description. This thing looked like a huge pile you would see in a metal scrapyard. There were huge melted holes going through the ship at different angles. The forward spaces had a huge gaping belly wound that had blasted outward, leaving huge jagged edges grasping at the void.
“Klutch, have you ever seen anything like that before?”
“Commander, I am not even sure what it is. Whoever built that thing had no care for what it looked like. I can only believe everything we see was somehow necessary. One thing is certain: they were not well liked.”
“Commander, I have no active power sources aboard the vessel. Scanners indicate the nebula appears to be clear of spacecraft. I am processing all collected data and have factored in the signal generated by the Guardian transponder. The only logical conclusion I can formulate is that it might possibly be a Prule ship.”
Klutch and I looked at each other with our eyes wide. We were shocked. The Guardian transponder pointed out the enemy as well as artifacts. This was incredible because Justice had told us the ship had no active power source. Obviously, something on board the wreck emitted something detectable by the transponder.
Words finally came out of Klutch’s gaping maw. “It was my understanding no one has ever left a Prule warship intac
t.”
“Commander, the ships profile in no way matches the debris found at Alpha base. It does not fit the size or description of previously classified Prule assets. This vessel is significantly larger and might possibly be an unidentified class of Prule warship.”
“Somebody identified it for what it is or it would not look like that. I am just taking wild guesses, but that thing looks like it was intentionally hidden here. If that is the case, it would mean something or someone survived the battle and fled to this location.”
Klutch was nodding his agreement. “Commander, it could be hundreds of years old. The only way we can confirm Justice’s theory is to go take a look. Justice said there were no active power sources — perhaps it was abandoned or the remaining crew was rescued.”
Justice weighed in on our discussion. “Commander, without an understanding of Prule technology, it would be dangerous to assume the ship is uninhabited. We are, after all, talking about a race of bio-machines. My current data suggests the ship escaped a near fatal confrontation. This leaves open several distinct possibilities, the first being the conflict did not go well for the race or races that did battle with the ship. The ship may have been the victor and made it to this location to await aid in whatever form that may have been. Another possibility is the crew failed to survive and the intelligence that operated the ship brought it to this location before its dwindling power supply failed. I could give you more scenarios, but the fact remains it would be difficult to thoroughly explain the ship’s presence here.”
Klutch just shrugged his huge shoulders. “I still think we should at least take a look and see if it really is a Prule warship. Speculation is not proof.”
