Death Haunts the Stars

by Jeffrey M. Fortney

  Roger that! Rivers replied through his implant. Turning his attention to Scarpos and his wife, Captain Rivers signaled a steward to escort them to a table in one darkened corner of the vast compartment. The couple walked slowly over to the indicated table and sat down. A waiter moved in and set glasses of champagne in front of them then moved off. Moments later, the lights dimmed briefly in that corner. When they came back up, the Scarpos were not there! Cameras scanning the room found that no one seemed to have noticed their disappearance.

  The guests continued to arrive and were greeted by the Rivers. Most were cleared by Bradley, Phipps, and Turkel. From time to time, Bradley would notify the captain of a suspect, who would be quickly and clandestinely taken to a table in a darkened corner...and then into custody.

  In the IC3, four extra monitors had been set up along one wall and were running the facial identification program by examining a realtime data feed from video cameras throughout the ship. When a suspect appeared on these screens, Bradley would contact a security team near the appropriate location and alert them to shadow the suspect and be prepared to move in when told to do so. Not too soon, Bradley thought to himself, we need to catch them in the act!

  At 1630 hours, Captain Rivers climbed up some steps onto a small stage set up along one wall of the large dining hall. He paused and glanced upwards towards the hidden cameras and microphones that were being directed at him. He cleared his throat and looked out at the large crowd. "Welcome, everybody! Thank you for joining us this afternoon for this impromptu celebration! We've scheduled this to last for several hours with food, drink, and entertainment provided. We'd like everyone to stay with us throughout the party as we have a very special surprise arranged for everyone later in the evening! So eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves!" Rivers left the stage and rejoined his wife at their table as the dinner was served.

  Skipper! said Bradley's 'voice' in Rivers' implant. We've got activity in Stasis Compartment Three and in Corridors 7 and 9 moving toward that location! Security is moving into positions!

  Rivers responded silently, I'll be there shortly, Mac!

  James, you don't need to be here..., Bradley began.

  Yes, I do! Rivers replied. He rose from his chair, kissed Charlotte on the cheek, and excused himself. He walked along the wall until he was in one of the darkened corners where the suspects had vanished. One of the 'waiters' opened a well camouflaged side hatch for him and followed him through into the corridor beyond.

  A Security transport was waiting for Rivers in the corridor. The security specialist at the wheel handed the captain a stunner. "Obviously, Commander Bradley knows me altogether too well," Rivers said. The driver nodded and handed the captain a dark, lightweight jacket before putting the vehicle in motion. Rivers grinned and pulled off his dress jacket and donned the darker one.

  Moments later, the transport stopped in a side corridor near Stasis Compartment Three. Commander Mac Bradley stood to one side of the corridor.

  "Howdy, Captain!" he said to the captain.

  "Hello, Mac!" the captain replied. "What do we have?"

  Bradley waved the captain into a small side compartment that his security team had set up as a forward command post. He pointed to a monitor set up on a console. "We've tapped into the video feed from SC3. See...there are several stasis techs working on four of the stasis pods over here." Bradley pointed to a knot of people to one side of the image.

  It quickly became obvious that the techs were preparing to remove four people from stasis. Well, now we know why we've been showing irregular power readings from the stasis compartments, Rivers thought to himself. These stasis techs are part of the conspiracy aboard the Conestoga. They've helped hide their co-conspirators aboard the ship by moving them from stasis pod to stasis pod. When the additional power requirements became noticeable or when the co-conspirators were needed as part of an attack, they took them out of stasis. Later, they would be put back in stasis in another compartment! Looking at Bradley's face, Rivers realized his security chief was thinking the same thing!

  One by one, the technicians shut down the stasis fields of each of the four pods then activated the re-animation sequence to revive each patient...stowaway, no saboteur, Rivers' mind corrected! The techs monitored each saboteur carefully as they awoke then helped them to their feet.

  Back in the investigative computer command center, Phipps and Turkel directed the cameras within the stasis compartment to get a close up shot of each newly revived stowaway's face. The facial recognition system quickly compared those images against Earth Only Movement personnel whose information was in the ship's library database. The computer quickly identified each and Phipps had the computer put their names, photos, and other information on a couple of monitors. Phipps and Turkel each let out a soft whistle upon recognizing one of the names.

  Sergeant Turkel activated his microphone. "Captain, Commander...you are not going to believe this! Sending the data to Commander Bradley's tablet now, sirs!"

  In the small compartment near SC3, Bradley's tablet pinged. Bradley activated its screen and opened the files he'd received. He let out a whistle, as much in shock as to gain the captain's attention. Bradley held out his tablet to let the captain read the data. Rivers only reaction was to arch one eyebrow.

  Bradley's tablet pinged again. "Commander, you have company coming down the corridor heading to SC3. Five people...three men, two women. They should reach SC3's port hatch in about a minute."

  Bradley acknowledged the transmission and started to order his personnel to intercept the people moving towards SC3 when Rivers held up a hand. "Let's see what happens when the two groups link up, Mac. We have them pretty much surrounded and can keep them from getting loose." Bradley nodded his agreement and ordered his people to remain hidden.

  A moment later, the port hatch into Stasis Compartment Three could be seen opening and the five people stepped into the compartment and joined the larger group inside. Bradley signaled Turkel to pipe the audio from SC3 to his location.

  One of the revived conspirators, an older man with thin white hair, turned to face the group. "Now is our opportunity to wipe out those who would take Humanity's impurities to the stars and contaminate the Universe," the man said in a strong, commanding voice that didn't waver despite his advanced age. "We could not convince them, and those like them, to remain on Earth. Nor could we convince them to turn back, return to Earth, and refrain from ruining the purity of other worlds. Now, if this vessel and other ships like her fail to return, perhaps those back on Earth will learn that Humanity's place is there...not out here in deep space. Our sacrifice, and the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters on other vessels, will halt their madness. I thank each of you for your devotion to our cause and your willingness to sacrifice yourself to ensure the purity of other worlds."

  He paused to look intently at each of those assembled before him. "Even now, our brothers and sisters aboard this vessel, are mingled amongst our enemies and monitoring their activities while we go forth and complete our mission. Let us gather our weapons and prepare for our final attack upon this vessel."

  **********

  At that moment, Sergeant Keith Freeman stepped into the compartment and joined the captain and Bradley. Looking at the old man on the monitor and Bradley's tablet screen, Freeman exclaimed, "My God! That looks just like..."

  Bradley tossed a warning glance at the noncommissioned officer, even though they couldn't be heard by the saboteurs. "Yes, we believe it most certainly is Doctor Karl Johanson, the man who invented the Faster-than-Light drive!"

  Freeman and others within hearing distance looked aghast. "But how, sir? How could he be alive? He'd have to be more than 200 years old by now!"

  Captain Rivers answered, "Chronologically...yes. Biologically...not necessarily, sergeant. We've had suspended animation and stasis technologies around for a long time. Personnel used to use SA and stasis for long interstellar flights...before Johanson's FTL drive came along and greatly reduced d
eep space flight times. He could have spent years, maybe even decades at a time in either condition."

  "To think that the man who gave Humanity the stars would be the same man trying to keep us from them," said Bradley. "I wonder what caused his change of heart?"

  Captain Rivers gestured toward the saboteurs on the monitor. Three of the stasis techs had opened some of the empty stasis pods on one end of a row and removed the padding an occupant would normally lay on. From the pods, they pulled out weapons, backpacks, and other items and passed them over to their comrades.

  Bradley turned to Rivers. "Skipper, those aren't stunners they're passing out. Those are pulse rifles!"

  Rivers nodded and began moving towards the hatch and the corridor beyond. "Let's go! We've got to stop them before they get out of that compartment!"

  Bradley stopped Rivers before he got too far. "James, we don't have time for an argument right now. I want...no, I need you to stay back! My personnel and I can't have our attention split between trying to capture the saboteurs and protecting you at the same time. It would just lead to more of our people getting hurt...or killed. So...I'm asking you, please, stay back!"

  Rivers started to argue with his friend then simply nodded. A good leader knows when to lead and when to follow, Rivers thought. He let Bradley and his security personnel take the lead. He followed them down the corridor to one of the two hatches into the stasis compartment. Bradley quickly divided his security personnel into two assault teams and assigned each to a hatch. Other teams had already sealed other the hatches into and out of the compartment and were standing by at those locations just in case.

  Once his personnel were in place, Bradley looked at Rivers once more. Rivers pointed to the deck at his feet and sent Bradley a message via command implant, I'll stay right here unless you need me! Bradley smiled and gave his captain a quick thumbs-up.

  Bradley checked with his personnel one more time. A security technician at each hatch attached a small black box to the hatch's control unit and signaled their readiness. Bradley pumped a fist up and down in the air giving the signal to go! The security techs pressed the red buttons on their hatch control override units and the hatches slid open much faster than normal. Bradley and his security personnel moved quickly into the stasis compartment and began to slide behind whatever protective cover they could find!

  The saboteurs ducked behind the stasis pods. The pods were arranged in curving rows set on four tiers along the far wall. The arrangement of the pods allowed the saboteurs to shift from one pod to the next and from one level to another without breaking cover. Being slightly above the security personnel gave the saboteurs the advantage of better cover and overlapping fields of fire down upon the security personnel.

  Pulse beam weapons were capable of causing very painful injury or death. But the security personnel were also concerned that the saboteurs might turn their weapons upon the hull or critical systems within the ship's bulkheads. Such damage could cause explosive decompression of the compartment and endanger other personnel in this section of the ship.

  The security division's stunners were only effective if their beams struck someone directly, preventing damage to the ship and its component but also severely limiting the damage they could inflict on the saboteurs. Occasionally, one of the saboteurs would be briefly exposed while shifting positions and a good stunner shot would knock that person out.

  Pulses of coherent energy flashed from the saboteurs' rifles. Fortunately, the security personnel had been able to find adequate cover behind overturned benches and tables and three stasis monitoring consoles. The pulse rifle damage to the benches and tables was significant. The stasis monitoring consoles each absorbed several hits, some shorting out the electronics in the consoles and sending out showers of sparks in all directions. Thank God, those consoles are primarily monitoring stations and not stasis pod control systems or we could lose a lot of people, thought Rivers.

  Suddenly, a pulse beam struck the exposed leg of a security officer near the portside hatch. The lower half of the woman's pant leg burst into flames and she screamed in agony as the beam sheared her flesh. The beam continued to transfer its deadly energy into the woman's leg, charring it hideously. Another member of the security broke cover from beyond the hatch and raced into the stasis compartment. He gripped the back of the injured woman's weapons harness and began to drag her back towards the hatch.

  Another pulse beam lanced out, striking the man fully in face! He crumpled to the floor next to his injured comrade. The man's face was charred, his sinuses and air passageways were heavily damaged, and the frontal lobe of his brain was destroyed. He was dead before he hit the floor!

  Rivers broke cover and ran into the compartment. Gripping the injured woman's harness, he scuttled back into the corridor and away from the open hatch. A pulse beam narrowly missed Rivers on his right just before he reached the corridor and safety. In the corridor, two medics moved in to take care of the wounded female security officer.

  Mac! Mac! Bradley heard the 'voice' of James Rivers coming from his command implant. He paused to reply.

  James, I'm a little busy at the moment!

  You and your teams stay under cover! Rivers thought to his security chief, I've got backup on the way. With a little extra fire power!

  What? What the hell are you talking about, James? asked Bradley.

  Rivers responded, Just wait and see! Oh, yeah...while you're at it keep your head and your ass down!

  Moments later, another squad of security personnel arrived. Their squad leader, Lieutenant Salah bin Kattan, slid into position next to Rivers. "Hello, Captain! How can we help you?" Rivers nodded to the young lieutenant and other security specialists. He noticed that several more medical techs had arrived on the scene, as well.

  Rivers poked his head into the hatchway for a split second and scanned the four tiers of stasis pods. Ducking back to safety, he turned to bin Kattan. "Pull up the security cams in Stasis Compartment Three on your tablet, Lieutenant." Rivers waited patiently while bin Kattan complied. Seconds later, bin Kattan turned the tablet's screen so that both he and the captain could see the display.

  "Okay, Lieutenant, there are saboteurs behind stasis pods here, here, and here. A number along this row of pods here and a couple over here," Rivers pointed to the locations on the screens. LT bin Kattan used his stylus to highlight the areas on his tablet and the information was transmitted to the heads-up displays of the rest of the lieutenant's squad. Rivers looked at the young lieutenant and asked, "Did you find and bring the special weapons?"

  Salah bin Kattan grinned at his captain and responded, "Oh, yes sir! We did indeed!"

  "Excellent," responded Rivers. "Standby while I get Commander Bradley and the other security personnel out of the compartment." Rivers reached out through his command implant, Mac! We're going to provide covering fire so you can pull your personnel back to the corridor. In 3...2...1...NOW! Move it! Move it!

  Rivers, bin Kattan, and the security forces in the corridor leaned in around the edges of the open hatches and fired their stunners over the heads of Bradley and his personnel. The stunner beams did little but to keep the saboteurs' heads down but that was enough to allow Bradley and his personnel in the stasis compartment to scuttle from their positions back into to the corridor and safety.

  In the corridor, Bradley turned to the captain and asked, "Okay, James, what do you have up your sleeve?"

  Rivers pointed to bin Kattan. The young man pulled a tube-like weapon from his shoulder and passed it to Bradley. The tube was equipped with a short stock on one end and a slide in magazine on the top. Bradley removed the magazine and looked at a short, stubby projectile in the top of the magazine. The aluminum casing was no doubt filled with some low explosive designed to launch the transparent and frangible 'warhead' filled with a purplish-colored liquid a short distance. "What are we doing? Lobbing Christmas ornaments at them?" Bradley asked.

  "Not quite," replied Rivers. "These are riot contro
l weapons meant for the Camadin Security Forces. I remembered seeing them on a cargo manifest and thought they were an interesting item for a colony to request. I saw 'em in action during a riot back on Earth once. The fluid is a highly volatile anesthetic agent. We set an approximate detonation distance with this control here on the stock then lob these up above the stasis pods. When they reach their detonation distance, they burst, the contents vaporize and expand rapidly, then drift down on the saboteurs. One touch of the vapor on their skin or the slightest whiff of the gas, our 'friends' in there will be rendered unconscious in seconds!"

  "Hmmph..." responded Bradley. "Well, Salah, I'll use this one and you can borrow one from someone else. Get the rest of your team into position with their grenade launchers and let's get to work!"

  "Mac, I've just contacted Deckard by command implant and ordered him to isolate the air vents in SC3," Rivers told his security chief. "It'll take him a few seconds to make it happen!"

  Thirty seconds later, Rivers nodded to Bradley. "Their air supply is shut off."

  Bradley acknowledged what Rivers had told him and quickly described the scene inside the stasis compartment to his security teams. "Okay, everybody, they're spread out pretty evenly left to right. They're shifting around a bit further up the stairs into the upper tiers. If we can get the rounds up above the upper tier pods we should get a good spray of the chemical down upon the enemy. This team here...aim for the portside; you fellows at the other hatch aim to starboard! Everyone clear on this? Good! Captain, if you and the others will lay down a little covering fire for us, please? In 3...2...1...NOW!"

  Rivers and several security personnel leaned around the edges of the two hatches and began firing their stunners towards the stasis pods. Bradley and six security officers stepped into the open doorways and fired their gas grenade launchers. The rounds went up into the upper levels of the compartment and burst! Purplish gas erupted in the air, began to spread outward, then started to descend on the saboteurs' locations!