The Colony Ship Conestoga : The Complete Series: All Eight Books

by John Thornton

  Zing!

  A burst of energy erupted on the wall, just to the side of Alizon. He pulled Cammarry over to himself and placed his own body between her and the shooter who was down the hall. It was one of the food attendants. He was hiding in a side corridor, pointing the energy weapon around the corner. The muzzle was shaking and shivering.

  “Into that hanger bay!” Jerome yelled. The three dove across the hall and through the bulkhead doorway which was standing open.

  Zing! Zing!

  Two energy bursts struck on either side of the bulkhead door.

  The bulkhead door slammed shut behind them.

  Sandie’s voice came loudly from Jerome’s com-link on the area setting. All three heard it. “Get inside NS-99 now. I will do an emergency decompression of this hanger bay, and open the exterior doors enough to allow you to escape.”

  “But if they launch all those radiological weapons,” Cammarry said as she sprinted toward NS-99. “Will we escape the detonations and radioactivity?”

  Cammarry and Jerome both had noted, while they ran, that the Vindicator Missiles were all steaming from their main engines. The launchers were making clicking sounds as they adjusting the missiles into position.

  “I am trying to shut down their whole operation,” Sandie stated. “Trust me. This is the only way. I have prepped NS-99; it is ready to go. Get inside and I will take it from there. I will operate flight control.”

  The three people leapt into NS-99 and the shuttle’s side door locked shut. Gravity manipulation was suddenly lost, and all three people felt immensely heavy. Alizon physically set Cammarry into the pilot seat, and belted her restraint across her lap and shoulders. He then fell into the passenger seat and strapped himself in. He was breathing heavy from the exertion.

  Jerome dropped into the other pilot’s seat and snapped his restraints shut just as the docking clamps released and the shuttle’s thrusters fired. The inertia suppression system kicked in and prevented them from being splattered across the inside of the shuttle as it darted toward the exterior bay doors which were clanking open. Zalian air and Earth normal air were mixing in the hanger bay, but Sandie had sealed the bulkhead doors to prevent any Zalian gasses from gaining entry into Zeta beyond the hanger bay.

  “Faithful Lightning is away!” Sandie cried out though the speakers of the cockpit as well as Jerome’s com-link. “I am piloting this shuttle to get you to safety.”

  With full thrusters firing, NS-99 shot through the tight opening made as the exterior door moved. As soon as the shuttle was past that, those exterior doors clanged shut. Looking at the Zalian world outside of Zeta, the three occupants of the shuttle could tell that they were moving very fast out and away from the habitat.

  Small automacube-launched missiles were fired by one of the armored automacubes which were sitting on the blackened ground. Smoke poured out from the small missiles as they left the brace on the automacube. They rose rapidly, heading right toward the fleeing shuttle.

  “Hold tight for evasive action!” Sandie yelled out.

  “Sandie? What is happening?” Jerome asked.

  “Everyone, just hold tight!” Sandie yelled.

  The shuttle rolled in a dizzying spin and then bucked numerous times in bone-jarring maneuvers. It dove, it zigged to the side, it looped around, and precious time was lost.

  The small missiles pursued.

  Sandie flew the shuttle it evade. It was rough. Even the inertia suppression did not completely stop Jerome, Alizon, and Cammarry from feeling the jarring movements.

  As the shuttle made another sudden lurch, both the anti-aircraft missiles exploded very near the shuttle. The blast pushed the shuttle upward and away, but did not do anything but superficial damage. Sandie kicked in the thrusters and the vertical ascent continued. Although now Sandie knew reaching orbit before the nuclear blasts went off was very doubtful. Yet, the ascent continued at maximum thruster propulsion.

  After a few anxious moments, the pressures eased somewhat, but the shuttle continued to accelerate rapidly. It was making a direct vertical ascent, thrusters firing at maximum.

  “I am trying to stop Operation Cleansing Fire, but am uncertain I can prevent the launch of all the Vindicator Missiles. You may reach orbit, but you will have no thruster fuel for a stable orbit, or to dock with the needle ship. Captain Eris has been advised. She is trying to arrange a shuttle to come get you.”

  “You sound doubtful,” Cammarry said as she gripped her seat with both hands. “What are our chances?”

  “Trust me. My mission has always been to protect you,” Sandie stated.

  Back inside Zeta, in the nonphysicality, Sandie’s tendril was slashing its way through the command and control features, seeking any way to shut down the initiation of Operation Cleansing Fire.

  CIC Hanna Reitsch was fighting Sandie at every level. It was slower, but possessed connections to all the parts of the nonphysicality of Zeta. Sandie now knew that was why there was no lattice of compeers in Zeta. That had all been devoted to CIC Hanna Reitsch for Operation Cleansing Fire.

  Sandie had been able to simulate a Crock incursion in two of the hanger bays, which had caused the diversion. The simulations all appeared on the remote monitors and on the sensors. However, when human sentries had physically looked out of the viewports, in those hanger bays, the illusion was lost.

  Colonel Harrison met with Adjutant Caley. He stated, “Somehow the Pinheads have discovered our plans. They are seeking to ruin our Combat Intelligence Command, Hanna Reitsch. We must initiate Operation Cleansing Fire while we still can.”

  “Only forty-seven missiles are ready, sir!” Adjutant Caley reminded him.

  “I am well aware of our capability. The plan has redundancy for success. Forty-seven will be sufficient,” Colonel Harrison stated. “I just do not understand how the Pinheads got inside our defenses. Unless… Those people from orbit! Quickly, follow me.” He broke into a run while speaking into the command bracelet on his wrist. “CIC Hanna Reitsch, immediately initiate Operation Cleansing Fire. Launch all available Vindicator Missiles! Repeat. Launch all available Vindicator Missiles.”

  Adjutant Caley was using her own command bracelet, “Sergeant Brookfield, place the visitors under arrest and move them to the brig.” She then spoke to Colonel Harrison, “They plugged their device into our access port. Was that how the Pinheads infiltrated our defenses?”

  “SB Louis Le Prince should have detected any deceptions. Those people must be traitors to the whole race!” Colonel Harrison snarled.

  “Sergeant Brookfield? Confirm you have the prisoners!” Adjutant Caley demanded. “Sergeant Brookfield, report!”

  “Anyone in Riley 01 immediately report your status!” Colonel Harrison barked into his own command bracelet.

  There was no response from the command bracelets.

  “SB Louis Le Prince, what is the condition of Riley 01?” Adjutant Caley demanded.

  “Riley 01 is unavailable for assessment,” SB Louis Le Prince replied. “I have been locked out of Riley 01 by an unknown force in the nonphysicality.”

  Reaching a bulkhead door that should have automatically opened, both Colonel Harrison and Adjutant Caley were stymied.

  “CIC Hanna Reitsch? What is the status on Operation Cleansing Fire?” Colonel Harrison asked. He gestured to the dysfunctional door.

  Adjutant Caley drew out her energy weapon, made an adjustment on its butt, then shot a beam into the nine-section color control pad. The energy was absorbed by the pad. Sparks danced around the perimeter of the door as its override system forced it to open.

  “Foreign influences are being combated. Operation Cleansing Fire is commencing. Riley 01 and Riley 07 are nonresponsive. The other eleven hanger bays are all in countdown stages. Thirty-eight Vindicator Missiles are primed and ready for launch. Decompression is happening. External doors will be opened in three minutes. Launch will immediately follow.”

  “Good enough,” Colonel Harrison answered as he and Ad
jutant Caley sprinted down the hall toward Riley 01 and the conference room where they had left the visitors.

  When they drew near to the conference room, Colonel Harrison stated, “Adjutant Caley, you have my permission for summary execution of the prisoners on sight.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “But our priority is to remove that device which has sabotaged our defenses,” Colonel Harrison ordered.

  Sandie could perceive their words and actions through the com-link which was still dangling from the access port.

  “Check the hanger bay!” Colonel Harrison ordered as he stepped over unconscious man on the floor. He slipped a bit because of the mess on the floor.

  “Yes, sir!” She darted across the hall and tried to open the locked bulkhead door. “Riley 01 is open to the outside. I cannot force this door without exposing us to poison gases!”

  “Well, we can stop their spy anyway!” Colonel Harrison said as he threw the table into the wall. He reached for the com-link. “They cannot defeat us!”

  Via the com-link, Sandie heard the comments, and could see a visual image, at a tilted and skewed angle. Colonel Harrison reached right for the camera on the com-link. Sandie, using her maximum processing speed, conjectured the possibility of continuing to work via the package of instruments which had been attached on Zeta’s hull, but that would not work. CIC Hanna Reitsch had shut down all of those, and the package itself had been ejected from the hull just moments before. The com-link was the only connection left. Sandie calculated the speed with which the shuttle was escaping. It would not reach orbit before the nuclear missiles were launched.

  Colonel Harrison reached closer to the com-link.

  Sandie scanned the Zeta targeting systems of all the Vindicator Missiles, roughly forcing CIC Hanna Reitsch away from the controls, but could only observe, not deactivate. Locating the targeting vectors, and the impact targets, Sandie realized that the shuttle would not even reach orbit before the first of the nuclear weapons detonated. Not enough was known of the Zalian atmosphere to conjecture how the blast waves and radiation would be spread, but Sandie guessed the shuttle would be struck.

  CIC Hanna Reitsch attempted to squeeze Sandie’s tendril away from the command controls, but Sandie’s processing was too fleet to be captured in such a way. CIC Hanna Reitsch concentrated all its defenses on protecting the thirty-eight missiles which were to launch. Sandie could not get to them to shut them down in time.

  Sandie saw that Colonel Harrison’s hand was nearly to the com-link. Mere seconds remained before he ripped out that last remaining connection.

  Abruptly, Sandie withdrew from all efforts at stopping the launch commands and controls. Instead, Sandie shifted to the three warheads which were awaiting transport from the nuclear weapons factory to be loaded into the last of the Vindicator Missiles.

  CIC Hanna Reitsch was astounded, and assumed victory over Sandie. CIC Hanna Reitsch was about to report that to Colonel Harrison when Sandie’s voice came from the com-link.

  “I am sorry to do this. Forgive me.”

  Just as Colonel Harrison’s hand grabbed the com-link and ripped it from the wall, Sandie sent the detonation signal to the three warheads at the factory.

  WUUMMPH.

  Blast.

  Heat.

  Radiation.

  Shockwaves.

  The outer hull of Zeta remained intact, despite all that happened within.

  Many kilometers away the shuttle NS-99 suddenly slowed down its vigorous ascent. It tapered off to a gentle glide through the upper layers of Zalia’s atmosphere. Its thrusters reduced to an efficient fuel consumption.

  “What has happened?” Jerome asked. “We are not in orbit.”

  “Sandie, did you stop Operation Cleansing Fire?” Cammarry asked.

  There was static from the speakers.

  Jerome tapped the com-link on his ear. “Sandie? What do we do? Help!”

  A weak and trembling voice came from Jerome’s com-link on area audio. It was Sandie’s voice, in a tone none of them had ever heard. “There was no other choice. The threat has been neutralized. You are safe. Flight control is returned to you. You may proceed to Alpha, or to the needle ship. I am sorry.”

  “Sorry?” Cammarry asked. “What do you mean? Sandie? Sandie?”

  “Jerome? Cammarry?” Captain Eris voice came through the cockpit speakers. “Orbital observation shows that Zeta habitat just lost all power signatures. Scans show no observable external activity. Nothing. A few minutes ago, Sandie sent me a message with your projected location in orbit. The engineering tug is ready, and I was heading to get in and come get you, but I did not think I could make it by the time Sandie said you would be falling back to the planet. I am confused. I just received a message saying the crisis has been averted, and the rescue mission was not needed. Are you safe?”

  “I believe we are,” Jerome responded. “I am not sure what happened. Sandie is not responding.”

  “Eris, are you picking up any radiation from Zeta? Did you see any missile launches?” Cammarry asked. Her lips were drawn tightly as she was thinking about what might have happened.

  “Two small missiles were launched, and exploded near your shuttle. No other activity has been seen,” Eris replied. “SB Pinaka is deciphering a long transmission from Sandie. I too cannot get Sandie to respond. As to radiation, there is no change from the Zalian normal background radiation. What has happened?”

  Sandie’s voice came back to all of them. Quivering and unsteady. “I am sorry. There was no other option.”

  9 ALIEN assistance

  Eris sat back in the under-construction bridge of the needle ship and prayed. She had allowed Cammarry and Jerome, along with their passenger Alizon, to decide their own destination. Jerome had insisted on coming to the needle ship, and the other two had gone along with that suggestion. It would be several hours while they flew back. Eris wondered, pondered, and doubted her decision to allow, even encourage Jerome and Cammarry to go to Zeta.

  “Sandie?” Eris tapped the com-link, for a private channel, but there was still no response.

  “You need to have better connections,” Shadow stated, and only Eris heard. “The shadowlands can provide that. It is important.”

  Eris tried to get herself to relax, and closed her eyes.

  Mists and fog rolled in around her thoughts as she drifted into the shadowlands. Immediately, AI Ogma was there, nearly precise, for a phantasm, and keenly ready to converse.

  “Captain Eris there have been remarkable developments,” AI Ogma stated. Eris looked and could almost perceive, beyond the apparition, the cavern where that central memory core was located. Specters of other things moved and shuffled about within the shadowlands, but Eris focused on listening to AI Ogma.

  “I know something happened with Sandie, and Zeta habitat,” Eris answered.

  The phantom of a man with a floppy hat stepped forward. His clothing was all brown and he took a long drink from a bottle before he spoke. “The rube and his friends barely escaped. These other characters here tried to murder them.” Bigelow gestured toward several large men, their ghostly images drifting around the edges of the shadowland. They were unable to escape, but unwilling to participate.

  “The shadowlands are an alternative to the lattice,” the apparition wearing a Captain’s uniform with ‘Lechner’ stenciled over a pocket stated. “When the Conestoga’s brain trust was being destroyed we set it up for emergencies. Use it now.”

  “I must interrupt,” AI Ogma interjected with surprising sound and force. Eris shrank back, but realized there was nothing behind her here in the shadowlands. The AI went on, “The people have informed me that humans have now been designated with personhood status, without reservation. The people now acknowledge humans as a sentient species. The people decided that the recent actions removing the predator inclined nest, proves that humans are sentient and not only just a lesser predator species.”

  “Removing what?” Eris asked. “A predat
or inclined nest? What do you mean?”

  The central memory core of AI Ogma shimmered and shook for a moment. “I was using the people’s terms. The destruction of Habitat Zeta has elucidated the people into accepting humans as sentient persons. The different stages concur. Thought people agree, as well as the physical people. Therefore, I am allowed to convey more information, which I am doing. As you have linked SB Virginia Dare to me, I have been able to recover some of my empathy and fellowship.”

  “Wait? Zeta was destroyed? Was it a gravity sink hole?” Eris asked, although she had growing suspicions. “How many people perished? How many in suspended animation? Are they all lost?”