by Gary Weston
‘Nice to know you care, General,’ said Shorty. ‘I knew I’d grow on you one day.’
Millet winked at her. ‘Yeah. Like a rash. Shoo.’
Chapter 214
Joy was showing Tilly Jordan and Karma Casey the new baby clothes when Raven got home.
‘A home full of women,’ said Raven. ‘Is that a good thing I ask myself?’ He looked at Tilly who had needed even more surgery. She had dressings around her neck. ‘Nice to see you up and about, Tilly.’
Tilly wasn’t allowed to speak for a few more days, so she just tried to smile and waved her hand at him.
‘Sorry I didn’t get to see you in hospital.’
Tilly just shrugged.
Joy said, ‘We’ve been having a girly thing. Catching up. Talking about babies.’
‘Oh, I could kick myself for missing that,’ said Raven. ‘Are you two joining us for dinner?’
Tilly shook her head.
Joy explained. ‘Tilly can only have liquid stuff the hospital made up for her. She only came out a couple of hours ago, so she’s off home to rest for a few days.’
‘And I’m going to see my mom,’ said Casey. ‘Convince her I’m not flying off again.’
Raven said, ‘You’ve definitely made your mind up about that, Karma?’
‘One hundred percent.’
‘Ok. I could get you into the D S I agents course if you were interested?’
Tilly grabbed Karma’s hand, shook her head and pointed at Raven. Karma giggled.
‘I think she means not to end up working for you.’
‘But I’m lovely,’ protested Raven.
‘Says you,’ said Joy. ‘Luckily, we three know the truth. Tagg. Karma wants a nice safe job. She wants to have a family.’
‘Ok. But that’s the only opening in the D S I at the moment. I was just trying to help.’
Karma hugged Raven and said, ‘I know. This is as close to the D S I as I ever want to be. Come on, Tilly. I’ll give you a ride home.’
Tilly gave Raven’s hand a squeeze and followed Casey out of the door.
Chapter 215
General Millet was talking to his main cannon shooter Gaganjot Singh and Captain Mario Luppino, when Captain Dorran approached them. They could see from Dorran’s expression it wasn’t good news.
Millet said, ‘Don’t tell me the engines are stuffed.’
‘They’re not stuffed. The problem is before the engines to the main fuel pump. Nothing serious but we do have to strip down stuff and fit the replacement. It will take all night.’
Luppino said, ‘My engineer can chip in.’
‘No room in there as it is,’ said Dorran. ‘It could be a lot worse. Just one of those things.’
Millet said, ‘Take as long as you need. I don’t want a rush job. I’ll have everyone back inside the ships before it gets dark. Anybody seen Shorty and Warner?’
‘They shouldn’t be far away,’ said Dorran. ‘I’ll have to get back to work.’
As Dorran returned to the engine bay, Millet looked to see Shorty and Warner anywhere.
‘Any idea which way they went?’
‘They were heading that way last I saw of them,’ said Singh, pointing towards a range of red sandstone hills ‘Shall I see if I can find them?’
‘Not on your own,’ said Millet.
‘I’ll go with you, Gaganjot,’ said Luppino.
‘Ok,’ said Millet. ‘Take a radio. If you don’t find them in one hour, you two come back here. If Shorty wants to sleep in this wilderness at night, she can please her damn self.’
Luppino checked a radio and he and Singh set off towards the river and the red hills.
‘Makes a nice change to go walking,’ said Singh.
Luppino said, ‘Not a bad old planet, by the look of it. I wonder if there are fish in the rivers?’
‘I see a few birds over there. I think they have nests in the cliffs.’
Luppino watched them circling. ‘I wonder what they taste like?’
‘They’re probably thinking the same thing about us.’
It only took half an hour of solid walking to reach the river. They found two sets of boot prints in the soft ground.
‘This way,’ said Singh.
The relatively clear ground gave way to increasingly denser undergrowth and bush. They could no longer see the bootprints.
‘Not much point us going on,’ said Luppino. ‘They could be anywhere and I’m not staying out here any longer than I need to be. It’s already getting dark.’
Singh yelled out, ‘Shorty. Warner. Where the hell are you? Hey. Shorty.’
Luppino joined in, both shouting as loud as they could. They stopped to listen.
‘Nothing,’ said Singh. ‘Time to be heading back.’
They had retraced their path just a few yards, when Luppino stopped and said, ‘Did you hear that?’
‘I can’t hear…Wait. They’re calling for help. Over there.’
Luppino and Singh pulled their guns from their belt holsters and crashed through the bushes. They stopped and yelled every few yards, the shouting from Shorty and Warner becoming louder. Charging on, they broke out of the bush into a clearing.
‘Shorty. Where are you?’ Luppino called.
‘Over here. Be careful.’
Slowly, Luppino and Singh crossed the clearing, then they saw the pit. Stepping as close to the edge as they dared, they looked into the pit to see Shorty and Warner at the bottom of it.
‘Are you hurt?’ Singh called out.
‘Nothing broken,’ said Shorty. ‘Just a bit battered. We need help to get out of here.’
The pit was a neat oblong, three yards by five yards, and a good eight yards deep.
Warner said, ‘I have a length of rope here. I’ll toss it up to you.’
It took two goes then Luppino caught the line. He dropped one end of it back down the pit. ‘It’s too short,’ said Warner. ‘We need another couple of yards at least.’
Luppino pulled the line back up. ‘ Gaganjot. Take your belt off.’ Luppino did the same and then he secured the belts to the line. ‘Here. This should do it.’
At the bottom of the pit, the line was still just out of reach. Warner bent his knees. ‘Stand on my shoulders.’
‘Don’t blame me if you get a hernia.’
Shorty climbed up on his shoulders and grunting like a champion weight lifter, Warner straightened up.
‘I got it,’ said Shorty. ‘Ok. Pull me up. And no fat jokes.’
‘Yoho, heavo, yoho, heavo,’ chanted Luppino, with exaggerated grunting.
‘Funeee,’ said Shorty, as strong hands dragged her over the edge of the pit.
‘Take your belt off,’ said Luppino. ‘The line should reach Warner when we do that.’
With the extra belt and three of them hauling Warner up, they were all soon safe again.
Luppino said, ‘That hole is not a natural fissure. Somebody dug it.’
‘It’s a trap we walked right into,’ said Warner. ‘We were trying to take a closer look at that over there, when the ground gave way.’
Across the pit, standing eight feet tall and three feet across, they could see a slab of red sandstone. It was covered with lines and symbols.
‘Damn. Sentient beings did that,’ said Singh.
‘Amazing,’ said Luppino. ‘But we still have to get back. Warner have you recorded that thing?’
‘I was about to do that when we fell. Just one minute. There. I have it.’
‘Ok,’ said Luppino. ‘Back this way.’ He was on his radio as they hurried back the way they came. ‘General Millet. General Millet.’
‘Luppino. You found them?’
‘Yes, Sir. We are all ok. We are on our way back. Could be an hour.’
Millet said, ‘Got that. As fast as you can. The ships lights will be on.’
Once out of the bush, they could cover ground much faster. They were hearing strange noises all around them as they raced along. All but Warner with his heavy
equipment had weapons drawn. They saw the lights of the ships and ran faster, diving into the airlocks which closed up right behind them.
‘Nice of you to join us, Shorty,’ said Millet with a grin.
The grin vanished when Warner said, ‘You should see this, Sir,’ and then he handed Millet the recorder.
Chapter 216
Millet watched the fifteen second recording for the ninth time. ‘That is writing. Of sorts.’
‘It is,’ agreed Warner.
‘Sentient beings,’ said Millet.
‘They are,’ said Warner. ‘Or were.’
‘Are,’ said Luppino. ‘That pit wasn’t dug for catching chubby captains in, but….’
‘Oi, Mario,’ snapped Shorty. ‘This is relaxed muscle.’
Millet said, ‘More comatose than relaxed. You were saying, Mario?’
‘That pit wasn’t dug for our benefit, but it is recent. Fairly.’
‘And the hieroglyphics?’ Millet asked. ‘Recent?’
‘Not like the pit,’ said Warner. ‘But it showed a high degree of precision and skill. The pit is maintained. It is there to protect the monolith from…well, anything. Hairy slugs, maybe.’
Gagonjot Singh said, ‘I didn’t see any bones in the pit. You know, from animals falling into it. And I’m sure some would now and then.’
Millet said, ‘Good point, Gagonjet. Which endorses the maintained theory.’
Shorty said, ‘Why do I get the feeling we are being watched?’
‘You’re right,’ said Millet. ‘They would be watching us.’
A very tired and grubby looking Captain Dorran entered and flopped down on a seat.
Millet asked, ‘Captain? Progress report?’
‘Basically, I’m tired, hungry, need a shower and could murder a beer. Thanks for caring.’
‘I meant the engines?’
‘Ah! The damaged part has been removed. We just need to fit the new part. Say, five or six hours.’
‘Right. Just set the perimeter sensors on both ships in case anything strays too close to us. Five hundred yards from the side of both ships should do it. Get yourself cleaned up and to sleep. Don’t even touch that engine until you are fully refreshed.’
‘Right, Sir. I’ll tell the repair crew.’
With his shoulders slumped, Dorran went off to tell the others still working on the engines to stop to rest for a few hours and Millet was assessing the situation.
‘We have no idea what we are dealing with here. Singh. I want a rotating shift of two hours each of all the shooters. On just one cannon. Use the front cannon for maximum vantage point. Don’t fire unless we are under attack. See anything, alert me immediately. You take charge of that.’
Singh revelled in responsibility and Millet knew that. ‘On my way, Sir.’
‘Warner. I want you to run those hieroglyphics through the ships computer. I don’t expect you to come up with anything, but worth a shot. I’m curious to find out if any civilisations using similar writing, where were they in their advancement at the time. Anything that will give us a clue.’
‘I will find out what I can, Sir,’ said Warner, away to find a quiet computer terminal to play on.
Millet said, ‘Everyone else get some shut-eye but be prepared for action at any time.’
The deck cleared, only Shorty staying behind.
‘Are you ok?’ she asked.
‘Yeah. Goes with the turf. You not going to bed?’
‘Too hyped up. Besides. Not often I get you alone on the ship.’
‘Excuse me? Is that any way to talk to your General?’
‘Oh, shut up and kiss me, you big lump.’
‘Yes, Sir.’ Millet wrapped his arms around his captain and kissed her tenderly on her lips. ‘You think anyone knows about you and me?’
‘Us? You and me? No. Of course not. Well. Probably everybody. Do you care?’
Millet grinned. ‘I won’t if you don’t. Come here.’
He led her to a dark corner and they sat together, taking strength from each other. He placed his arm around her, and she lay her head on his highly decorated chest and she was soon asleep.
Chapter 217
‘Anything unusual?’ Singh asked as shooter Yelena Gavrikov wriggled out of the cannon turret’s seat. Singh had trained the young shooter to a high degree of competency.
‘Dead as the graveyard. Good timing. I really need to pee.’
‘Ok,’ said Singh. ‘My stint should take us up to dawn.’
Singh settled in and adjusted everything for her smaller frame. The slowly sweeping yellow arm set to five hundred yards around both ships would bleep an alarm should anything larger than a mouse dare to venture closer. The turret could also turn a full circle as well as tilt at various angles. With the night-time field goggles, she could see over a mile into the undergrowth in almost any direction.
A small pale moon did little to illuminate the landscape. She was startled by a large black cloud taking off over low trees and her fingers instinctively went for the triggers, but as they flew towards the ships, she could see they were small, bat-like creatures. They flew harmlessly over head, too high to set off the alarms, then disappeared from sight. She knew the ships computer would record the incident, so she just ignored it.
The rest of the night passed quietly, and Singh had watched a pretty sunrise heralding a new day. A friendly face appeared.
‘You can come out now, Gagonjet,’ said Millet.
‘Good. Nothing to report from last night, Sir. Just a bunch of bat things flying over.’
As Singh clambered down, the ship was busy with people getting to work on whatever they did. She heard the airlocks opening and the airlock doors hissing to form the steps outside. Millet and Singh were first out, Singh wanting fresh air after the confines of the cannon turret.
‘We should be away in a few hours,’ said Millet. ‘Captain Dorran and the technicians have been on the repair for over an hour. They should be finished soon.’
‘Good. This looks like an interesting planet, Sir.’
‘One to earmark for some serious exploration later,’ agreed Millet. As Millet turned to get back in the ship, he was stopped dead in his tracks. ‘What the hell is that?’
To the right of the airlock door, a vertical line of hieroglyphics had been painted on in something black.
‘You say nothing came near the ships during the night?’
‘No, Sir. Certainly not while I was on duty.’
‘So how did that get there?’
Singh said, ‘Sir. If I or another shooter missed something, the computer would still have set off the alarms automatically. Unless the alarms have malfunctioned?’
Millet said, ‘Considering the problem with the engine, I wouldn’t rule anything out. Singh. Go back to the deck and reset the external alarms. I’ll approach from over there.’
Singh hurried onto the ship as Millet quickly walked out of range. He waited a minute, then walked back to the ship. The alarms went off.
‘Weird,’ Millet told himself. He went into the ship and found Singh at the controls. ‘The alarms worked. I know they were set correctly last night, because I checked them myself.’
‘But, Sir,’ said Singh. ‘How could anyone put that writing on the ship without either a shooter seeing them or the alarms going off?’
‘That, Singh, is a very good question. Extend the range for the alarms to ten miles diameter. Warner. Get out here.’
‘Sir?’
‘Take a load of this.’
Warner saw the marks on the ship and did a double-take. ‘What the heck?’
‘Exactly. Something crept up in the night without setting off the alarms and when our keen-eyed shooters were watching. And then they decorated our ship.’
Warner suggested, ‘I think they’re trying to make contact.’
‘For all we know it could also be a warning. Warner. Record that and get it cleaned off. I want us off this planet the second this bird can fly.’
* * *
All ships shooters were in position at the cannons, two on each ship. It was clear daylight and they were determined to protect their ship. Millet deliberately withheld the incident from the crew repairing the engine, not wishing to add to their pressure to get off the planet. Another two tense hours passed, then Dorran ran engine checks from the flight-deck. He declared the ship fit to fly.
He was about to inform General Millet, when Singh beat him for Millet’s attention.
‘Sir,’ said Singh. ‘Something is approaching. Just inside the ten mile range.’
‘From which direction?’
‘All of them. We’re completely surrounded.’
Dorran rushed to the flight-panel and checked the main screens. ‘She’s right. We are completely surrounded. And they’re closing in.’
‘Dorran. Get us in the air NOW! People buckle up. Take off thirty seconds. Shooters. Can you see anything?’
Four shooters reported seeing nothing visually, but something was clearly visible on their screens.
‘They’re coming at us faster,’ said Singh. ‘Three miles away in every direction.’
‘Luppino. Get in the air, now.’
‘Already up,’ said Luppino. ‘We can’t see a damn thing coming our way.’
‘Dorran!’ bellowed Millet.
‘Hold on tight.’
‘Two miles and closing in,’ cried Singh.
‘Landing thrusters engaged,’ said Dorran.
‘One mile,’ warned Singh.
‘Lifting off,’ said Dorran.
‘Two hundred yards,’ said Singh. ‘They’re almost on top of us. I still see nothing.’
Millet yelled, ‘DORRAN!’
‘Hang on. And we are away.’
With a second to spare, the two ships roared away into deep space.
Millet remembered to breathe. ‘Anybody suggest we land on the next planet, I will personally throw them out of the airlock. Report this planet “Approach with extreme caution,” Warner.’
Chapter 218
