“Double doors ahead.” Irons pointed. “The way is clear. Let’s pick it up just a little.”
The two moved slightly faster toward the glass doors in front of them.
Outside of the doors, the room looked dimly lit and blast marks replaced a door handle.
“Captain.” Hannah pointed at the dark streak running from the middle of the glass down toward the floor.
“That’s on the inside,” Irons said.
He stuck one finger in the hole left by the missing door handle and glanced at Hannah. She nodded and stepped around him to crouch against the second door, gun pointing forward. One more nod signaled she was ready and Irons pulled the door open, slowly so it didn’t hit the wall. He moved his gun into the room then turned it opposite Hannah’s aim to cover both sides.
“Clear,” she said.
“Clear,” he said.
Hannah stepped inside first and saw the display screen with the image of a soldier relaying the same message she’d heard on the ship. It was on a loop. The two stepped closer to the control console and noticed a form slumped over in the chair. It wasn’t large enough to be a Catter. Irons lowered his gun and pulled the mass back.
The soldier’s head rocked backwards to face the ceiling. The look on his face was one of absolute terror. Irons observed the massive hole in his chest right next to his name badge.
”Neves,” he read the name.
“He’s the one who sent the distress call,” Hannah said, looking from the screen to the soldier. “What kind of gun—”
“Wasn’t a gun that did this,” Irons whispered. “It was a fist. Catter’s probably figured out how strong they were here and toyed with the soldiers.” He looked around on the floor and found a pistol.
Picking it up, Irons looked at the magazine then the chamber. “This thing’s empty. But where’s the…” His gaze stopped on a dark corner of the room. “Xuyen,” he whispered.
She turned to him and noticed his gun aimed and one finger over his mouth. Her eyes went wide. Whatever he was looking at was behind her. She slowly turned as he walked past her toward the corner. Whatever was there, she couldn’t see it.
Irons nearly disappeared in the dark of the corner. All Hannah could see was his back. A shuffling noise, then Irons moved backwards, gun down. In front of him, the massive Catter fell to its knees then to its face. Its back was full of exit wounds. One paw stretched outward toward Hannah. In it was the dark red of a human heart.
Hannah looked away, choking back her need to gag.
“Sorry you have to see that.” Irons said. “I forget you never saw ground combat. Trust me when I say this is nothing. Our comms soldier, Neves, must’a gotten the shots off while he was being tortured.”
“He could have done it after,” Hannah said. “A human being can stay alive without a heart for approximately four minutes. After that the brain receives no oxygen from blood flow. Then death.”
Irons looked down at the heart then at the soldier. “Either way, I suppose. That’s Mars training for ya. Now, see if you can get me a line to Earth.”
“Yes, sir,” Hannah said, still shaken by the sight.
* * *
Syracuse hooked the fuel line up to the Lucky Liberty and turned to survey the damage as Durham and Lindsay rushed to load the cargo bay.
“They must have been planning this for a long time,” he said to himself. “This isn’t a war…”
* * *
Hannah’s fingers glided across the control console as she tried to find the transmission codes. “They’re encrypted.”
“That’s not very efficient.”
“It’s probably just a fail safe in case an attack occurs.”
“Can you break into it?”
Hannah worked a few more keystrokes on the control console. “There. We have a clear line to Earth Fleet.”
“Put me through.” Irons looked at the screen.
The image of a tech officer on the display was a little fuzzy but clear enough to make out details. This far out, the resolution wasn’t very high.
“This is Captain James Irons of the USS Lucky Liberty, calling from Mars base.”
“I see you, Captain,” the tech officer said.
“I need to speak with Admiral Collins.”
“She’s in a tactical strategy meeting, sir.”
“Then put me through to the meeting.”
“Sir, I don’t—”
Irons raised his voice. “Son, I don’t have time for rank and file. You put me through or you’re gonna be some Catter warrior’s love slave.”
The tech specialist struggled to find his own words before finally catching his tongue. “Y—Yes, sir.”
Hannah and Irons watched as the officer on Earth fidgeted with his own console. The image quickly changed to a wide view of a large conference room. The table was surrounded by military higher-ups and a few people in business attire.
“James?” Mona said from the head of the table. “What is this?”
“I got little time to explain, Admiral. We had to make a brief stop on Mars.”
“That’s the opposite direction from the Ka’traxis Brood homeworld. There’s only a little over a day and a half left. You’ll never make it in time, now.”
“We were never going to make it in time, Mona. Not in our rig. Even with its modifications. That Catter Queen’s been playing with us from the start.”
Mona crossed her arms. “That doesn’t explain why you’re on Mars.”
“We’re not going to the homeworld. The rest of our fleet is on Jupiter.”
“You mean we could have just nuked the Catters all along? Why wasn’t I aware of this?”
“That’s exactly why. Stevens figured you’d react that way.”
“Rightly so,” a portly man in a business suit said.
“Yeah, I figured a senator would agree,” Irons smirked.
The others around the table joined in agreement to use the nuclear strike.
“Shut it, all of you!” Irons yelled.
“Captain!” Mona declared.
“I don’t got time, Admiral. Besides, Mars base is done. Catters musta ambushed them then wormholed out. Ain’t no way to launch the nukes anyway. But you still got us.”
Mona leaned on the table. “What’s your plan, James?”
“We’re still working on that. Though I gotta be honest, it ain’t looking too good. We wasted enough time, fuel and ammo on a few battles just to get here. We’re re-stocking both but at this point, even with a closer target, we aren’t gonna make the deadline.”
Irons and Hannah waited for the Admiral’s reaction. But it only came as silence and an expression of confusion.
Irons shook his head. “I hate when you look at me like that,”
“Captain.” Mona stood up. “J said we have three days.”
“I know. A deadline we ain’t making.”
“But she didn’t say what kind of days.”
Irons looks down at Hannah who returned his gaze, wide eyed.
Twenty-Three
Good News
“Three days.” Hannah’s words sounded as though she couldn’t believe them.
“Not anymore,” Irons stared at her hoping there was more to this non-realization.
‘“No, Captain. Not three days Earth time. Three days Jupiter time.”
“What’s the difference?”
“I know you’re a bit dense at the sciences, Irons, but even you should know this,” Mona teased.
“You telling me we got more than three days to get there?”
“With this news, I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on it before, Specialist Xuyen.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
“It’s no one’s fault,” Irons said. “She got distracted by all the new Wartech stuff.”
“I don’t even have to do the calculations,” Hannah turned from the screen to Irons. “We don’t even have to hurry anymore. A day on Jupiter is eleven years. Sir, we don’t even have to
use the Hypergates anymore. We have more than enough time to make it.”
“So there is no deadline?”
“You could come back, fix your ship and recruit new fleet members then go back out and show them what a fully armed Earth Fleet can really do,” Mona said.
Irons switched his gaze from the Admiral to Hannah several times before looking back at the dead Catter on the floor.
“Irons,” Mona said. “Try to smile. This is a good thing.”
“It’s a good theory is what it is.”
“Sir?” Hannah said, looking for clarification.
“J has been playing with us from the beginning. I’d be hard pressed to believe the Catters don’t know the difference between a day on Earth and a day on Jupiter.“
“What are you getting at, Captain?” the portly senator asked.
“As far as we need to be concerned, the deadline ain’t changed. I’m willing to concede we might have a few extra hours due to the planet distances but we still need to get there.”
“This doesn’t sound like the celebration I was hoping for.” Mona folded her arms again.
“It ain’t. The good news is the Catters think we’re heading for their homeworld. That gives us the surprise advantage.”
“Even if that’s true, you’re still bound to be late or right on time. One of those options means you may have a fight on your hands,” Mona said
“What’s new?”
“That’s if your theory is true,” the senator added. “I motion we vote on it.”
“Vote on what, exactly?” Irons temper flared.
“On starting recruitment and refilling the ranks. We could even train the Army for space flight. That would cut down on battle training.”
“There’s no way I’m having Army grunts take credit for Earth Fleet’s win.” Irons punched the control console, causing the image to flicker.
While Captain Irons and those in the war room back on Earth bickered over the options, Hannah crept to the dead Catter. Being so close to the creature was difficult for her. Trembling hands reached up and wiped sweat from her brow before reaching out to the alien. Its tail twitched, making Hannah jerk back. She waited and watched to see if it was really dead. No other movements came from the Catter.
A spasm, she thought and reached back out.
The fur of the Ka’traxis Brood warrior brushed against her passing hand as she reached for its belt. Several devices were hooked to it. None looked familiar to her. They were as different to Earth technology as many of the projects Wartech had created. But just like many of the Wartech pieces, she was sure she could back engineer them if she could get a closer look at them.
“Xuyen.” Irons looked down at her. “What are you doing?”
“Just a thought, sir.”
“Are we boring you, Captain?” The portly senator’s tone was smug. “I know you’re used to having your orders carried out but—”
“I’m out here trying to save the human race and all you wanna do is vote on the best way. This was the best way before you found out what we know. And I’m not willing to gamble the whole Earth on a theory. The first way is still the best way.”
“This would not be happening if Captain Allen were in your position.” The senator turned to Mona.
Irons scowled. “That punk got captured on day one. You really wanna take that road with me?”
“Gentlemen, please,” Mona said. “We needn’t fight amongst ourselves.”
“It wouldn’t be a fight,” Irons muttered, hoping the senator would hear him but not wanting to annoy the Admiral.
“Excuse me, Admiral.” Hannah approached the screen. She held up some kind of stick-like device. “I don’t know for sure but I think this might be how they’re getting around.”
“That a Wormhole Activator?” Irons asked.
“I believe so.” Hannah turned the stick over. Four metal rods stuck out two inches from the ends of the device, one on each side. The rods bent in the middle at a one-hundred and thirty degree obtuse angle so it looked as though her hand was enclosed. “I’d have to experiment with it but I think—”
“Just find the On button,” Irons said.
Hannah looked at the screen, hoping for the Admiral’s approval as well.
Mona nodded. “We need to know. Whether we have eleven years or less than three days, this could be the very thing that turns the tide.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Hannah held the device out and pressed her thumb against a worn looking spot.
The room was bathed in a purple light on the ceiling. Irons and Hannah looked straight up into the wormhole. One black mass surrounded by a purple swirling light stared back at them. There was nothing on the other side as far as they could see.
“How come we can’t see the other side?” Irons asked.
“I don’t know, Captain,” Hannah replied. “The better question is where does it actually go?”
“I’ll top that.”
“Sir?”
“Can the Catters see this thing on the other side?”
“Irons?” Mona asked. “Captain? James!”
Irons snapped to the display screen. “Admiral.”
“Did it work?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’d say we have our short cut regardless of the deadline.”
“Outstanding, Captain.”
“We’ll continue on as planned while Specialist Xuyen works to figure out the specifics of the wormhole device. Once that’s done, we’ll port in, save the rest of the fleet then return home.”
“Sir?” Hannah chimed in.
Irons jabbed a thumb in her side, right on a pressure point, making her tense up.
“I’m sure it’s more detailed than that, Captain,” Mona said. “But if the deadline is really Earth time, I appreciate your summary considering the urgency. Find our people. Bring them home.”
“Yes, Admiral. Over and out.” Irons pressed one button on the console and the display changed to a map of Mars.
“Sir, we don’t even know where this thing really goes,” Hannah said, rubbing at her side.
“If we’da told them that, I’d still be listening to that senator yack on about stuff he don’t know about.“ Irons made his way toward the double doors. “You think you can figure out all the workings of that thing?”
“I’ll need more for study.”
“The floor of the dock looked to have plenty for study. Look inside the LAVs, too. Just in case size means anything.”
“Yes, sir.”
“We’re done in here.” Irons opened the door. “And, Hannah, it might not hurt to pray that thing takes us to Jupiter and not the Catter homeworld.”
Twenty-Four
Blazing the Trail
“Don’t stack those things around the ship, Durham,” Syracuse ordered. “In case we gotta get that thing back out there.”
“Sorry, XO,” Durham shifted the ammo crates away from the Wartech ship.
He and Lindsay had finished loading all of the H4 ammunition crates they could find. It was an easier job than either of them had anticipated. The lighter gravity made manual labor tasks equal to a walk in the park.
“Get those guns loaded!” Irons yelled as he strode into view.
He and Hannah practically leaped toward the gangplank of the Lucky Liberty.
“How’s our fuel?”
“She’s full up and ready to go, Captain,” Syracuse said. “Any contact with Earth?”
“That and more. Everyone, load up!”
* * *
Durham sat on one of the ammo crates inside the cargo bay while Hannah crouched down, shuffling through a box full of Wormhole Activators. She picked up two and looked them over.
“What ya got there, Sparky?” Durham asked.
“Wormhole Activators,” Hannah said flatly.
Durham chuckled. “That’s funny.”
“Ain’t a joke,” Irons leaned against the Wartech ship. “What’s in that box could be our fast track.”
“What did t
he admiral say?” Syracuse asked.
“Here’s the short of it,” Irons started. “If we got a day left, Earth time, then we got about eleven years Jupiter time.”
“We could re-fill the whole fleet,” Lindsay broke in.
“That’s what the Admiral said. I say it’s a theory. And if it’s wrong, we’ll definitely miss the deadline.”
“We’ve lost so much time as it is,” Syracuse said “ At this point if we wait eleven years and we’re wrong or get there in eleven hours, we’re still gonna miss the window.”
“Those things in that box—” Irons pointed to the box of Wormhole Activators in front of Hannah.”—are our window if Hannah can figure’em out.”
“And if she can’t?” Durham asked.
Hannah elbowed him in the shin. It was a just jab for his insult to her technical expertise.
“Then we might as well sit here and watch the sparks fly. Because if she can’t, this whole trip was for nothing,” Irons said.
Durham hopped off of the crate. “I hate these long shots.” He reached down and picked up two of the activators.
“Hey,” Hannah protested.
“I’m just looking.” He rotated them in his hands, observing both devices. “So this is how they’ve been getting around so fast. One of these will take us to Jupiter?”
“That’s the million dollar question,” Irons said. “We turned one on but couldn’t see anything inside.”
“You could just stick your head through.”
“You volunteering, Durham?” Irons shot him a look.
Durham’s head snapped up. “No, sir.”
“Then shut it and let Hannah do her job.”
“The question is how to program destinations.” Hannah took the devices back and set them both back in the box. “We already know they open in front of the activator depending on which way you point it. But how do we get it to take us where we want?”
“Maybe they’re pre-programmed for the Catter homeworld already,” Syracuse said.
“That’s to get back. But how did they get here in the first…” Hannah touched the activator button but didn’t press it. “I know what you do,” she muttered. “But how do—”
IRON SPEAR Page 12
