by Gary Weston
‘Ok,’ said Millet. ‘You two go see Captain Dorran. Get our the radios on all three ships set to the same frequency as that old probe and have a message on a loop playing continuously.’
‘On our way, Sir,’ said Cracker as they headed towards the flight-deck.
‘I just hope the wrong jokers don’t come after us,’ said Shorty.
Millet said, ‘Even if they did, we’re not their enemy. For all they know, we’re just a happy bunch of space-cowboys, just dropping by to say hi.’
‘If we can talk our way out of trouble, it would be my preferred option over all out war.’
‘Even so. We’ll have everyone on high alert, especially the shooters. I don’t want us here like sitting ducks ready to be picked off. I’ll let you organise that.’
‘Yes, Sir. Anything to be active.’
Shorty did the rounds, talking softly to the rookies half her age. They looked up to her, a legend in her own right. That they had witnessed her bucking bronco ride on a satellite streaking through space and on its way to destruction on a moon, refusing to let it go, defying death yet again confirmed it. When Shorty spoke, everyone listened. When shorty heard the sobbing in the bathroom, she knew an especially delicate approach was called for.
‘Are you ok in there?’
‘I…I…’
There came back shuffling sounds, then the cubicle door was unlatched. The girl was slight of build, delicate, almost. Shorty was sure her D S I uniform would have had to be extensively altered for it to fit her nubile body. The girl had been crying and was too embarrassed to look her captain in the eye. Shorty locked the bathroom door so they wouldn’t be disturbed.
‘Cadet Patel. I won’t ask if you’re ok, because I can see you’re not.’
‘I…I’m so sorry, Captain. I was trying to hold it all together, but I just lost it.’
‘You’re scared. I get that. We all are.’
The huge brown, red-rimmed eyes stared into Shorty’s face. ‘You’re scared? You never get scared.’
‘I don’t? News to me. I get scared just like everybody else.’
Rose Patel shook her head. ‘You never get scared. I was watching you on that probe. You could have jumped off at any time, but you hung on and saved the probe.’
‘And I was pooping bricks the entire time. Had to get my suit hosed out afterwards.’
‘You so did not.’
Shorty laughed. ‘A slight exaggeration. But between you and me, this damn suit could use a clean out.’
The banter was working and the waterworks had been turned off. ‘It’s just you and me, Rose. Two women of the world. Talk to me. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?’
‘Before we set off, I had the biggest argument with my mom and dad. They threatened to lock me up rather than see me come on this mission. I told them straight. I’m a D S I cadet and I’m going on that mission.’
Shorty grinned, ‘I bet that went down well.’
‘They caved in, in the end. Now, I think they were right.’
‘Why? What you heard?’
That did it. Patel burst out laughing. ‘You’re funny. And so brave. I want to be just like you.’
‘Is that all? Easy. Spend the next twenty years eating greasy food washed down by beer, only exercise when your commanding officer orders you to do so, and you end up with a magnificent body like mine.’
‘You know what I mean. You know, joining the D S I Military was something of a rebellion. My father wanted me to be a doctor, like him. That isn’t for me. All my life, I’ve been called Petal, instead of Patel. Rose Petal. You can’t imagine the stick I get.’
‘No, really? I’ve been called Shorty since I was…even shorter. I’m a barrel on legs. Even my own damn husband calls me Shorty. Yep. I think I can imagine.’
Another chuckle from the slip of a girl. ‘I never thought of it that way. Don’t you mind being called that?’
‘It’s just a name. Heck. When me and Frank got married, I found myself signing the register as Shorty instead of Victoria. Even I get confused. Rose. You are being trained up as a shooter by Gagonjot Singh, right?’
Rose nodded. ‘She is so amazing. She says us Indians make the best shooters. But…’
‘Here it comes. Out with it.’
‘I was hoping we would call off the mission and we would go home. Now we are out here, I might actually have to shoot something. To kill somebody. I’m not sure I can kill somebody that way.’
Shorty said, ‘Hmm. Ok. To be honest, it doesn’t actually happen that often. And when it does, we either shoot or get shot.’
‘Have you killed anyone?’
Shorty had killed with her bare hands, knives and laser rifles. Her past was littered with dead bodies. Did they keep her awake at night? No. Anybody she had killed had deserved to die. The time she had been shot where no woman should be shot sometimes gave her nightmares.
‘I’ve killed a few in my time. I don’t brag about it. It was my job. Rose. As a cadet, you are really just here for the experience and to step in if you have to. We have top shooters who won’t think twice about taking out a ship if it starts firing at us. We’ll get through this. When we do, come and see me. There are more jobs in the D S I that don’t involve killing than do. I’d rather you be doing one of those than have a shooter I couldn’t count on to shoot. Will you do that?’
‘I want to stay in the D S I. I’ll do that.’
‘Great. Now if you don’t mind, I really gotta pee.’
Chapter 351
Jackie Cracker was asleep in the seat on the flight-deck. She had the volume of the looped message turned low, and had drifted off. The radio fizzing into life instantly woke her up.
‘We need your help. Please. Our time is running out. You can locate our position from this transmission. Please. Our time is running…’
‘Don’t you dare go away. Come on. I need a little more. Talk to me.’
Only static poured from the speakers. Then, ‘We do not have much time left. Please…’
‘Keep going. I almost have it. Come on!’
‘…We grow weak. This is all that remains of us. I…we cannot survive much…’ And he was gone.
‘Got you.’ Cracker slapped the alarm button. She wanted to get some attention; what she got instead were three ships with people getting it together at a frantic pace. She was still keying in the coordinates as the door behind her opened and Captain Dorran walked in.
‘You got something good?’ he asked, buckling up.
‘These coordinates any good to you?’
‘Pretty good ballpark. This is Captain Dorran. Buckle up. I give you all fifteen seconds. Park it and buckle it. And in five…We’re going people, and go.’
As the three fighters raced through deepest space, it was all hands to the pumps. As well as being skilled soldiers, they all doubled up with other duties. Each ship had two seasoned laser cannon shooters with pure adrenalin pumping through their veins. The shooters were all female; Chief Shooter Gagonjot Singh never finding a male good enough to join her elite team. No bias, but if they didn’t cut the mustard, they were out. Singh was already in position in the lead cannon turret, the green screen surrounding her, her “eyes” to everything outside the ship. Fighter captains, however, were mostly male. Not exclusively, but most just were. Each to their own, it seemed.
‘Time and distance?’ Millet demanded of Dorran.
‘Lots of miles that way. Say, three hours.’
‘Fair enough. Well done, Cracker, by the way.’
‘Thank you, Sir. He sounded pretty desperate.’
Millet said, ‘That doesn’t mean we can help. Shorty? Are you there?’
‘Me? No. I thought I’d go home for a Greasy Joe special. Extra fries. You want something?’
‘A respectful captain would be a start.’
‘Right. I’ll put the word out when we get back and see if we can find you one.’
Millet said, ‘Remind me to fire you and I
’ll have me a proper captain.’
‘I love it when you talk dirty to me.’
The routine wasn’t rehearsed, but it was just enough to take the nervous edge off any engagement without losing the focus. Tens of thousands of miles streaked by in an unfamiliar universe full of familiar star systems. On, they flew, eating up the miles for a race of people they had never even met. It was a Human thing. It was what Humans did. And then they saw it. Captain Dorran stopped the ship which took only three thousand miles to do. Behind him, two other fighters hovered and waited. It was all down to him. It was there before them. Odd. Strange. Something to get the General looking at. He put out the call to Millet and Shorty and they entered the flight-deck.
‘You tell me, Sir. We can simply say, sorry. Maybe another time. Then we get the hell away from here.’
‘It’s just a box,’ said Shorty. ‘A damn big box, but still a box. General?’
‘We came this far…’
‘That we did.’
‘Weird.’
‘Me?‘asked Shorty.
‘Yes. But I was referring to the box. We should take a closer look. Feeling adventurous?’
‘Not now, Frank. You can have your wicked way with me later. We should look at this box.’
The “box” was roughly one quarter the size of a fighter. It was a seamless oblong, ivory in colour. Its smooth surface was only broken up by a glowing, golden disc, which seemed to be oscillating slightly.
Millet said, ‘Magnify the image.’
Dorran stroked a finger over the sensor. The box now filled the screen. ‘There isn’t a propulsion system that I can see.’
Shorty said, ‘That isn’t any kind of ship. It could be a trap.’
‘Is it too large to get it on our ship?’ said Millet.
‘It will fit in at a squeeze. Perhaps it isn’t anything to do with us,’ suggested Dorran. ‘Maybe it’s just some sort of beacon.’
Cracker said, ‘Try communicating with it. That signal had to come from somewhere.’
‘All yours,’ said Dorran.
‘Ok. This is Deep Space Intelligence. You asked us to help you? Hello?’
They waited for a response, and got none.
‘Try again,’ said Dorran.
‘This is Deep Space Intelligence. We are here to help…Look. Something is happening.’
Millet said, ‘Shooter Singh?’
‘We’re ready, Sir.’
One side of the box was opening up into two wings. Six cannon shooters were holding their nerves, knowing it didn’t pay to be trigger happy. A split second either way could mean either having their ship blown to smithereens, or them destroying innocent beings. Singh had trained them well.
From the box, a cigar shaped metallic object rose up and hovered. Slowly, it went towards the three fighters. All eyes were on it, not being fooled by the small size of the cylinder. It took almost one hour for it to reach the ships.
Millet said, ‘If it were a weapon, we’d be dead by now. Captain Dorran. Open the airlock.’
‘Opening outer airlock door.’
‘Now close it, equalise the pressure and open the inner door. Shorty. You come with me. The rest of you stay here.’
Millet and Shorty went to the open inner airlock door. There in the centre of the airlock was the perfect metal cylinder. Cautiously, Millet and Shorty approached, Shorty with her hand laser at the ready. There was a click and a hiss as the cylinder started to open up.
Chapter 352
They had seen the being on the data taken from the probe, but seeing the tiny creature in the flesh was still a shock to the system. It was a perfectly proportion humanoid. No more than eighteen inches in height. It wore a one-piece outfit of snug fitting yellow material. Its head was completely hairless and its facial features were the same as any Human being.
‘I am unarmed,’ said the little being, pointing at Shorty’s weapon.
Shorty put her weapon away. ‘You speak our language. How come?’
The creature looked surprised at her question. ‘You are from Earth. Your common language is English, as is the universal common language.’
Millet said, ‘Like in our own universe. I am General Frank Millet. This is my Captain, Vickie Armstrong. And you are?’
‘Kixsorin Zonn. Thank you for coming to help us.’
Millet said, ‘Not so fast, Zonn. Tell us quickly your story and then we’ll decide whether or not to help you.’
Zonn nodded. ‘Your caution is understandable, General. My people are travellers by nature. We have no planet. Perhaps once we did. We travel peacefully from planet to planet, landing where we are welcome, moving on when not. At least we did so until we met a race of people not as friendly as we are. Misunderstandings occurred. A war began.’
Shorty said, ‘Sometimes it doesn’t take much. That vessel you just came from. That isn’t a ship.’
‘An escape pod. Our last remaining ship was damaged by our enemy. We managed to escape but our ship died on us. We had no alternative but to eject in our pod, just before our ship destroyed itself.’
Millet said, ‘Are you telling us the last of your kind is in that pod?’
‘Forty-eight of us remain. We are in suspended animation. I was revived that I may communicate with you.’
‘It all sounds plausible,’ said Shorty, looking up at Millet. ‘Can we really just leave them out there to slowly die?’
Millet looked Zonn up and down. Clearly this tiny being posed no threat. ‘I guess this is why we are here. Zonn. We will bring your people into our airlock. But for the time being, they are to stay in suspended animation. We are not equipped to look after all of you and we have serious problems of our own to resolve. Captain Dorran. Take us up to that pod. We should just about squeeze it in the airlock.’
‘On our way.’ Dorran took the ship close to the still open escape pod.
‘Zonn. You need to return to your chamber while we bring your people in here.’
‘Thank you. We had all but given hope…Thank you.’
Zonn returned to his chamber which Shorty secured to an anchor-point.
‘Gotta feel sorry for them,’ said Shorty.
‘If you say so,’ said Millet, fastening a line to his belt. ‘Get ready to reel me in.’
It was just a few yards to leap across to the escape pod and grab hold of it. It was till open and Millet peered inside. There was a clear cover under which a neat row of the small beings were sealed in their individual chambers connected to wires and tubes. One chamber was open, Millet assuming Zonn had been in that one. Not knowing how to close the pod, Millet just hung on to it and Shorty easily pulled him across and into the airlock. Dorran closed the outer door, sealing them inside. Now all they had to do was get back to Home.
Chapter 353
Leaving the “guests” in the airlock, Shorty and Millet returned to the flight-deck.
‘Nice work, you two,’ said Dorran.
Shorty took off her helmet, as did Millet.
‘Ok,’ said Shorty, running her fingers through her hair. ‘Zonn thinks we’re from Earth. The one in this universe. You didn’t correct him. Why?’
Millet said, ‘Because I wanted to hold something back. We don’t know anything about these people.’
Shorty said, ‘They’re not packing weapons. They’re asleep in a box. What harm could they possibly do?’
‘It doesn’t matter. If we can’t find our way through the split, we’re as good as dead, anyway. Captain Dorran. Do we have a fix on that split?’
‘Yes, Sir. Finding it isn’t the problem. Our ships took a real battering getting this far. We’re pushing our luck going through again.’
‘Luck was always meant to be pushed,’ said Millet. ‘For now, take us back to the split and we’ll assess the situation.’
‘Yes, Sir. Captain’s Luppino and Carpenter. We’re heading back to the split. You know the drill, people. Park it and buckle it. Going in one minute.’ Dorran set the course while the minute
counted down. Then the three fighters were crossing the unknown universe with the survivors of an alien race to protect.
Shorty said, ‘Frank. We should talk to Zonn. There’s every possibility we won’t make it going through the split. They have a right to know that.’
Millet said, ‘They’re asleep. They won’t know what hit them.’
‘That’s not fair, Frank. We could maybe find a planet for them. Heck. We might need one for ourselves if we don’t go through the split. Just Zonn. Put everything on the table and see what he says.’
Millet considered her request. ‘Well. We do have a few hours before we have to do anything much. Come on then. Captain Dorran. Please open the airlock door.’
‘Done, Sir.’
Shorty and Millet entered the open airlock and stared at the strange pod.
Millet said, ‘I still think we should let sleeping aliens lie.’
‘They’ve a right to know. Now how do we get inside this thing.’
They didn’t have to figure it out as the double flaps opened. Shorty pulled out her gun, ready for anything. A minute later, Zonn climbed out. He noticed the gun and stood back.
‘A proximity sensor warned me you were here. Are you going to kill me?’
Shorty said, ‘Not with this. I blast a hole in the hull, we all die. I kill you, I’ll do it with these bare hands.’ Shorty put the gun away. This little dude was no match for her.
Millet said, ‘We would like to have a little chat with you. Care to join us?’
‘Of course.’
Zonn followed the two huge Humans into the main ship, and Millet called for Dorran to close the inner airlock door. They entered the galley dining area and Millet played it safe with water for three. Zonn looked even more harmless in the chair. He picked up the beaker and sipped the water.
‘What you are doing for us, we are so grateful. We tried to contact Earth, thinking they would perhaps help us. But, as I’m sure you know, Earth is so far away, it could take ages for them to receive our message. We were fortunate indeed that your ships were able to find us.’
