Salvage-5: Another Mission (First Contact)
Page 12
* * *
Salvage-5
Earth Orbit
Jump-Ring
The SSV-5 flew through the charged Mag-ring, sending them on their twelve day journey to the asteroid 52 Europa.
“Delayed message coming in from Buster, Sir. He says, you’re welcome and to be safe.”
“Well,” Tucker began to answer as he reached for a cigar, “If I could write him back, I’d thank him. But since I can’t, I’ll just enjoy one of these fine cigars.”
“I hope you packed extra scrubbers, Commander,” Sam balked.
“What?” Tucker shrugged.
“You know what.”
“Ohhh,” Tucker said, looking at his newly lit cigar, “Pardon me, Samuels, you want one?”
“Oh, hey thanks, Tuck. Sure,” Samuels said, smiling toward Sam.
Sam gave them both a roll of her eyes, “It’s gonna be a long, long trip.”
“Sam? Do you want one too?”
“No!”
“Okay, okay, sheesh, where do they find these people?”
* * *
Chapter 14
Location:
Asteroid 253 Mathilde
CSMO 253 Mathilde-2 Mining Operations
Earth Date: 03/21/2066 04:00
The CSMO continued to eat the surface of the asteroid. Ice and rock were chopped into bite sized pieces from the cutting teeth. The endless drone from the mining machines vibrated through the decks of the completely self-contained mining operation. The ice was separated on the conveyer, then it was melted and refined into the ship’s air and water supply. The rocks and minerals were processed in the hard rock section of the dredge. There they were refined into fuel and the precious metal ore the Company was so eager to transport back to Earth.
Dillan Smithton, the CSMO’s foreman, didn’t mind getting down and dirty. He often worked side-by-side with his crew. He kept his stringy blond hair tied in a ponytail to keep it out of the machinery. Like the rest of his crew, the dirt and grease stains on his orange overalls had a character of permanence to them. Dillan didn’t care as long as the job was getting done.
Dillan shouted over the noise of the machine, “Excellent job men! You’ve nearly tripled the ore quotas.”
The crew smiled at his praise, as Dillan continued to keep his crew fired up, “Our contract calls for big bonuses if we quadruple the quotas! I know that’s a lot to ask, but you’re so close now. Just a little more, and you could afford to take an entire year off this tub!”
One of his crew yelled his reply, “We should send out a couple of prospecting missions and find new hot spots on this rock! If we can strike two more high yield veins, we’ll have that goal made when the second haulers arrive to transport our current load in five months!”
“He’s right! I’ve done the math,” Dillan shouted. Leaning closer to the man’s headphone covered ears, “I’ll get that set up. Peel off the men for the job right away!”
Another man descended the metal stairs to the base of the dredge and tapped Dillan on the shoulder, “Dillan!” the man shouted, “A high priority message is coming through the long-distance array!”
“What does it say?”
“It’s for your eyes only! Says it’s from a Lieutenant Clark!”
Dillan stepped back and examined the look on the messenger’s face, “How soon before the message is downloaded?”
“Depends on how long it is, but it was sent on the priority one channel! I think you better come up top side and check it out!”
“Alright,” Dillan answered, and then turned back to his crew, “I’ll send you the prospecting assignments after I deal with this! Keep up the great work down here!”
The crew again smiled, nodded, and then returned to their mining tasks. Dillan climbed the metal stairs to the upper deck and sealed the hatch. The noise level suddenly became tolerable enough to remove his ear protection. The two entered the forward command center and studied the communication array as the message finished downloading.
“I’m queuing it up now, Dillan.”
Dillan placed a headset over his ears and motioned for the rest of the crew to exit the room. They all obeyed their foreman’s command and sealed the hatch to allow Dillan privacy.
The screen fluttered and the audio scratched as the distance of space played havoc on the message, then the screen lit up with Lieutenant Clarks face, “Dillan, this is Buster, Lieutenant Buster Clark. I have a message from Colonel Petersen. He recorded this a few days ago and wanted me to ensure you received it after...well, after, yeah, well, you’ll just have to see for yourself.”
Dillan could see Buster type commands into the keyboard in front of him. Tucker’s face replaced Buster’s on the screen. Dillan heard Buster’s voice in the background, “Go ahead, Sir, I’m recording.”
Tucker cleared his throat, and then looked straight into the camera lens, “Dillan, Tucker here. Yeah, it’s me. Say, I’m going to ask you to do something for me, and it’s going to sound a little funny, but you’ll just have to trust me, m’kay?”
Dillan could hear Buster in the background, “Keep going, Colonel. We’re still rolling here.”
“Oh, right, yeah. So, you should be the recipient of a special delivery cargo hauler in another few hours. You won’t find it on any delivery manifests, and you’ll understand what it’s for when they land in your cargo hold. By the time you’re watching this, I’ll be well on my way to 52 Europa. I’m sort of going to steal the Salvage-5. I have to go rescue Cass, er, Major Phillips and Captain Hargrove. They’ve both been taken by the alien complex. That’s where you come in. You’re my back-up plan. I need you to fly out to that location and set the Falcon’s reactor core to blow. I’m going to replace the detonators and get our people out before it blows sky-high. Well, I say that as if it were in an atmosphere, but what’s likely to happen is it will blow the entire asteroid into millions of pieces, so I don’t recommend you staying very long. Don’t worry, though. I don’t plan on being there when it goes either. Bottom line is that you don’t worry about us. You just go and set that reactor to overload. I’ll know when you’ve done your job with one of my chip enhancements. Just go in, set the core to blow, then get out and back to Mathilde. Buster will provide you with the specs for your payload, as well as the timing for our arrival at the asteroid. I need to give you enough time to do your part, so that’ll all be factored in. Now, you’ll need to take as many men with you to give you enough cover on the crashed Falcon. We don’t know what the alien infestation will look like inside the wreckage. I never said it was going to be easy. I know you can do this, Dillan. You’re a good man, and remember, I did save you last time, so you kind of do owe me. But not to give you any pressure, that’s not what this is all about. It’s about saving Cassie. I can’t live without her. I can’t leave her there, I’d never forgive myself. I’ve got a solid plan for getting in, but I can’t guarantee that all of Buster’s fancy programming will be enough. That’s why I’m countin’ on you to be my back-up. Regardless of anything, you need to blow that damn asteroid to kingdom come, got it? Good, I knew I could count on you,” Tucker rubbed his nose, and looked off screen, “Okay, that’s it. Just give him the time table and the Salvage-6 specs for the engine repair.”
Then the camera turned to snow and data poured out of the printer at Dillan’s station. He grabbed the paper and examined it, “Well, Tuck, you’ve really got a tall order, but I do owe you my life,” he whispered to himself, “So you got a deal!”
The operation engineer stuck his head through the hatch, “Everything okay in here, Dillan?”
“Yeah, everything’s great.”
The engineer began to turn to exit, when Dillan interrupted him, “Hey Parsons?”
“Yeah, Chief?”
“Did you know that you’ve got a certain je ne sais quoi about you?”
His engineer smiled, “Well, thank you, Sir. I appreciate you saying that.”
“So, tell me? How’s your ion turbine engine
replacement skill set?”
“I’ve done that a few times, so I’d say I have those skills.”
“Great, I’ve got a job for you.”
“A job, Sir?”
“Yes, close the hatch and I’ll tell ya all about it.”
* * *
Salvage-5
En-route to 52 Europa
Earth Date: 03/21/2066 04:10
“Tucker!” Sam yelled.
“What?” Tucker answered, his short stogie clenched between his teeth.
“It’s only been two days, and you’ve already clogged up one air scrubber. How’s about you put that thing out for a while? Let the scrubbers recycle this air so we can breathe again?”
“Oh, Sam, you’re just being super critical.”
“Oh, trust me, Tucker. I’m not!”
“Okay, okay...I can take a hint,” Tucker winked, removed the stogie and stowed it inside his portable carrying case.
Samuels floated forward to Tucker’s cabin and peered inside, “So how come you’re not just taking us right to the asteroid. I know that the programming is now self-actuating. You could get us right up and close in seconds?”
“Well, it’s all part of the plan,” Tucker smiled, resting his hands behind his head.
“You don’t plan, so what gives?”
“Well, I could get us there in a few minutes, but that’s not part of the plan,” Tucker pointed a finger at him, and then returned them to the back of his head. “It’s all part of the timing.”
“What timing, Sir?” Sam asked, joining Tucker and the Sergeant in Tucker’s quarters.
“I have to allow someone a few days to get a job done. Then we arrive at the asteroid for our business.”
“Just when are you going to share this plan with us?” Samuels asked.
“Is now a good time?”
“As good as any,” Sam smiled.
“Maybe I should wait...you might not like what I have to say.”
“Well, then in that case, you had better tell us, now!” Samuels argued.
“Yeah, Tucker. What did you get us into, anyway?”
“Me? I think you were the ones begging me to come along...”
“Yes, but you tricked us.”
“Tricked? Nooo!”
“Give it up, Tuck!” Sam ordered.
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“What? What’s this all about, Tucker? Spill it!”
Tucker floated forward and began to explain, “Okay, it’s like this...”
* * *
Asteroid 253 Mathilde
CSMO 253 Mathilde-2 Mining Operations
Earth Date: 03/21/2066 04:20
“Okay, Parsons, we all secure?”
“Sure, Dillan,” Parsons nodded as he closed the hatch and turned the security wheel, “So, what’s this all about?”
“Seems as if the Colonel needs our help on a project,” Dillan explained.
“Tucker? I’ll do anything you ask for the Colonel. You know that, right?”
“Well, you might want to hear me out the rest of the way before you’re so quick to sign up.”
“Why do I feel an uh-oh coming?”
“The first part of his request is fairly easy, if in fact you have performed an engine replacement, as you say you have.”
“You’re talking about the stranded salvage ship in our docking bay, right?”
“Yep, that’s the one.”
“Well, I can handle that.”
“Have you actually done one?”
“No, not directly on salvage ships, but I’ve done similar repairs.”
“Excellent.”
“How do you expect me to get that bird back in the air? There’s a hole punched clear through the engine.”
“The Colonel has arraigned for a hauler to deliver some special cargo in the next few hours.”
“He’s having an entire engine delivered? Because that’s the only way that ship’s gonna fly again,” Parsons said with one eyebrow raised.
“That’s what I’m being told.”
“What about the crushed port stabilizer? He bringing one of those too?”
“He didn’t say for sure, but if we only get an engine, can you at least get the wing straightened enough for flight?”
“I’m an engineer. Not a miracle worker, Dillan.”
“Can you get it to fly? Yes, or no?”
“I’ll do my best,” Parsons nodded, “...and only because it’s being requested by the Colonel himself, and that’s the only reason.”
“Great. I think you’d better get started removing the engine. We do have a time-line to keep in mind.”
“Now, you never told me there’s a time-line.”
“I didn’t? Oh, sorry, my bad.”
“Just what kind of time-line are we talkin’ about here?”
“We have to get it airworthy and jump to 52 Europa in less than ten days.”
“Ten days!?” Parsons exclaimed, “How many men do I get, anyway?”
“Who said you get men?”
“Oh, now this is getting really ridiculous. How do you expect me to get that ship ready for flight, straighten a crushed stabilizer and have it airworthy for whatever it is you need it for, in less than ten days, with no help?”
“I’ve got lots of faith in your skills.”
“How long did you hang with the Colonel back on Earth, anyway?”
“What does that matter, Parsons?”
“Because, you picked up on his ability to minimize the details, and then you expect me to do the impossible, that’s why!”
“Can you, or can you not, do this?”
“You’ve got to give me some men, here, Dillan.”
“Okay, okay. I can spare the additional Marines we were given to protect the CSMO.”
“The Marines? Why them? How about a few from the line? At least they’ve got the skills I need.”
“Out of the question. This operation will be strictly on the QT. Got it?”
“You didn’t answer me, why the Marines?”
“Because they’re gonna be onboard for the big mission. Anyway, the less people that know about his operation, the better.”
“Okay, so now the other shoe is about to drop. I can feel it coming.”
“She needs to be ready to fly 52 Europa for a special mission.”
* * *
Salvage-5
En-route to 52 Europa
Earth Date: 03/21/2066 04:30
“Oh no you don’t!” Sam protested, looking at Tucker’s left arm apparatus, “You’re not chipping us, and that’s final!”
“What?”
“You know what! It ain’t happenin’!”
“Noooo. No, Sam, Sarge? You got me all wrong, here.”
“Whattya mean,” Samuels agreed with Samantha, “We got you all wrong?”
“No, see, this isn’t a chip. Not at all.”
“Then why do you seem to have grown a chip injector on your left arm?”
Tucker looked at the new attachment, “It does look a bit intimidating, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does, and you’re not getting anywhere near me with that thing,” Sam again protested, slowing backing away.
“Let me explain.”
“Oh, please, do, Commander,” Samuels nodded, “We’re all ears for this one.”
“See, this isn’t a chip. Rather, it’s a chip enhancement device.”
“Come again, Commander?”
“Yeah, so here’s the plan. I inject you with this cylinder...” Tucker lowered his eyebrows, “It’s not a chip!”
“Keep going...” Sam begged.
“When you do get chipped by the alien complex guys, once it integrates into your brain, this programming will override any programming that will try to take you over.”
“Uh, huh...sounds like a chip to me!” Samuels said, also backing away from Tucker.
“Listen, I think you’ll actually like what Buster has done with the programming.”
“Buster knew about this?!”
“Well, yeah...he’s the one that programmed these capsules.”
“Why didn’t you tell us...”
“Really, Sam? You think you would have ‘volunteered’ to come along on this fun filled trip if I had?”
“He does have a point,” Samuels added.
“Just listen to me.”
“Fine, fine...what else do you have hidden up your sleeve?”
“When we reach 52 Europa, we park the ship above the complex. You and Samuels take both MECH’s and crash through the complex. I need a diversion, so you come in blazing with gun fire.”
“How you gonna get to the complex?”
“In a suit. I’ll hitch a ride down and then launch off to a different section. With my enhancements in place, I’ll be undetectable.”
“You mean with Buster’s device that didn’t work the last time?”
“No, we were already made even before we left Earth. This device will work. I’ll be invisible to any clones.”
“Theoretically...”
“Well, yeah...theoretically, yes.”
“Then what?”
“See, if you do get captured, they’ll plug you with a chip. That’s when the fun begins. You’ll totally understand when, and if, that does happen. You’ll also be able to escape back to the SSV-5.”
“What about the SSV-7? We can’t leave that ship there,” Samuels asked.
Sam interrupted, “They won’t get anywhere with dash 7, because I took the launch key.”
“Ah, very good, Captain,” Tucker smiled.
“I can by-pass that security system with my enhancements. I’ll use dash 7 with Cassie and Hargrove. We fly out and then wait for the ‘big bang’ to hit.”
“Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that, Tuck.” Samuels said.
“That’s kind of when Dillan will arrive with the dash 6. His team will enter the Falcon and set the reactor on run-a-way.”
“I see a flaw in your plan, Tuck.”
“Sarge? What flaw would that be?”
“You’re going to detonate the Falcon’s reactor?”
“Well, yeah...however, my enhancements that Buster designed will alert me when there’s a radiological device that comes on line.”