Space Jackers

by Huw Powell

  ‘In the stories, kalmars spin webs between asteroids to catch food,’ said Jake. ‘But what could they possibly eat out here, apart from space barnacles?’

  ‘People,’ groaned Kella, recalling their last encounter.

  ‘Well, it good job kalmar not see us,’ said Nanoo.

  Jake mulled something over in his mind.

  ‘If kalmars can live in asteroid fields, do you reckon other things could survive in them?’

  Kella raised an eyebrow. ‘You mean like your father?’

  ‘Yes,’ he admitted.

  ‘I suppose it’s possible,’ she said. ‘But kalmar hide is a lot thicker than skin and your father would have had to avoid being crushed by a thousand asteroids. I’ve never heard of anyone beating those kind of odds.’

  Jake’s heart sank, but he refused to give up hope. If anyone could survive an asteroid field, it had to be his father.

  Nanoo finished eating and returned to the engine room to work on the shield generators, while Jake and Kella kept an eye on the space monsters. When they were clear of the asteroid field, Kella noticed something else through the porthole window.

  ‘That’s strange,’ she said. ‘There’s a gap in the stars.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Jake.

  Kella drew on the glass with her finger. ‘There are thousands of stars in this constellation, apart from one section that doesn’t contain any.’

  ‘You’re right.’ Jake squinted at the window. ‘It’s a perfect black circle in a cluster of white lights. What is that?’

  ‘A planet,’ said Kella. ‘It must be a giant planet blocking out the stars.’

  Jake dared to hope. ‘Altus?’

  ‘What in the name of Zerost is going on?’ demanded Granny Leatherhead, storming on to the bridge in a floral nightgown and gravity boots. ‘Which one of you noisy numpties woke me up with your shouting?’

  ‘I’m sorry, captain,’ said Jake. ‘But Kella has spotted a gap in the stars and we think it might be Altus.’

  ‘I should have guessed you two had something to do with it,’ she croaked, rubbing her tired eye with her fist.

  ‘That patch of space does look strange,’ said Farid, pointing at his computer display.

  The first mate was joined by Callidus, Capio and Nichelle, who all nodded in agreement.

  ‘Altus, eh? Just like that?’ Granny Leatherhead tied back her straggly silver hair and studied the image on the display screen. ‘I suppose there’s only one way to find out. Nichelle, move us closer to that thing.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  The Dark Horse made its way to the gap in the stars, which ended up being a lot larger than Jake had anticipated.

  ‘That’s odd,’ said Nichelle, blowing a strand of blue hair out of her eyes. ‘I can feel the ship being pulled towards the gap and it’s getting stronger.’

  ‘It’s not just the ship.’ Farid checked his scanners. ‘A few of the stars have moved as well.’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ snapped Granny Leatherhead. ‘I’ve never heard of anything that powerful, especially not some big black gap.’

  ‘No, not a gap,’ corrected Callidus with alarm. ‘It’s a hole, a black hole!’

  The Dark Horse was heading straight for a black hole, an invisible hazard feared by all spacefaring crews. Few craft encountered a black hole and survived to tell the tale.

  ‘Callidus is right,’ said Farid. ‘How did we not recognise the signs? Look at the way the light bends around it.’

  ‘That’s called gravitational lensing,’ said Jake, showing off his knowledge. ‘A black hole is created when a star collapses, but it’s more of a sphere than a hole, spinning so fast that it creates a sort of super gravity. The reason it looks flat is because you can’t see any light reflecting off –’

  ‘Let’s save the science lesson,’ interrupted Granny Leatherhead, ‘because right now I would like to change course away from that thing. Nichelle, turn this ship about.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  Nichelle tugged at the controls, but nothing happened.

  ‘Well?’ asked Granny Leatherhead impatiently. ‘I said turn her about.’

  ‘I’m trying,’ insisted Nichelle, switching to full throttle. ‘We’re caught in the gravitational pull.’

  Jake tried to watch the rotating black void on the computer display, but could only see cold, dark emptiness, as though he was staring at death itself. It made him feel small and helpless.

  ‘What’s in there?’ asked Kella. ‘Where does everything go?’

  ‘Nobody knows,’ said Jake. ‘Nothing can escape a black hole, not even light. If we get sucked inside it, we’ll never be seen again.’

  The Dark Horse vibrated as Nichelle fought to change direction.

  ‘Come on,’ she heaved. ‘Turn, you stubborn old turkey.’

  ‘Keep it up,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘We’re getting too close to that unholy hole for my liking.’

  The Dark Horse shook violently and red lights flashed on the various displays. It reminded Jake of the kalmar attack a few days before, only there wasn’t a giant squid-like monster outside, but something much larger and far more dangerous. Nichelle threw her full weight behind the controls and the ship responded, turning in a wide arc away from the black hole.

  ‘We’re almost clear,’ she panted, her cheeks flushed.

  ‘Good,’ said Farid. ‘Because we’ve got company.’

  The crew gathered around his scanner.

  ‘Who is it?’ asked Granny Leatherhead.

  ‘Another ship,’ he said. ‘No, wait, there’s two of them.’

  ‘Interstellar Navy?’

  ‘Too small. I don’t think they’re commercial vessels either, judging by their speed.’

  ‘The space mafia?’ suggested Jake.

  ‘Perhaps,’ said Farid, looking up the ships on the stellar-net.

  There was something wrong. Jake didn’t know what it was, or why he felt so anxious, but there was something making him nervous. He chewed his lip as he waited for Farid to speak.

  ‘Crystal hunters,’ reported the first mate. ‘Those ships are registered to crystal hunters, by the names of Kain Stabbard and Jala Jenkins.’

  Jake bit his lip so hard that he drew blood. ‘It’s the people who stopped me in Papa Don’s spaceport.’

  ‘Those creepy cretins,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘What do they want?’

  ‘The same thing as everyone else.’ Jake placed a protective hand over his pendant.

  ‘Are they dangerous?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s difficult to tell,’ said Farid. ‘There are only two ships, but they are fast and probably armed.’

  Granny Leatherhead examined the metallic shapes on the computer display.

  ‘Hmm, I’ve dealt with worse than those dunderheads, but let’s play it safe and raise the shields.’

  ‘We can’t,’ said Nichelle. ‘The shields have been taken down while Nanoo and Manik work on them.’

  ‘What use are stronger defences after a battle?’ growled Granny Leatherhead. ‘Tell those tech-twins to get the shields back up immediately.’

  ‘Aye, captain,’ said Nichelle. ‘But it might take them a while, even with help from Scargus.’

  ‘Those incompetent idiots. What about the laser cannon? I’m assuming they weren’t stupid enough to recalibrate those at the same time.’

  Nichelle’s nervous expression suggested that Nanoo and Manik were indeed that stupid.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ screeched Granny Leatherhead, throwing her hands up in despair. ‘This is what I get for taking on passengers. How are we supposed to defend ourselves? Can we at least make a run for it, or have they dismantled the engine as well?’

  ‘The engine’s fine,’ said Nichelle. ‘But we’re trapped between the crystal hunters, the black hole and the asteroid field.’

  Granny Leatherhead screamed and paced the bridge. The crystal hunters’ ships were closer now and Jake could make out th
eir sharp features, like silver daggers flying through space. He recalled Kain in his mind, remembering how the rat-faced man seemed like a wild animal, with his black fur coat and tattooed claw marks.

  The communicator crackled ominously.

  ‘Ahoy, cargo hauler,’ said Kain, his husky voice seeping through the speakers.

  Granny Leatherhead forced a smile on to her face. ‘Ahoy, crystal hunters. How can we help you?’

  ‘We have unfinished business with the boy and his pendant,’ said Kain. ‘Hand him over and the rest of you can leave with your lives.’

  ‘What could you possibly want with my cabin boy?’ she asked naively.

  ‘Don’t play innocent with me, old woman. We know his pendant is from Altus and I’m betting it can lead us there. If you don’t send him over, we’ll cut open your ship and take it.’

  The Dark Horse might have been defenceless, but Granny Leatherhead was in no mood to surrender.

  ‘Nobody threatens the Space Dogs, especially not a cheap crystal hunter like you.’

  Kain laughed maliciously.

  ‘I never bluff,’ he said. ‘You have five minutes, before we turn your ship into stardust.’

  The communicator fell silent.

  ‘We have to do something,’ said Callidus.

  ‘Aye, but what?’ asked Granny Leatherhead. ‘Throw insults?’

  ‘Why don’t we give them Jake?’ suggested Capio. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I like the lad, but is anyone worth dying for?’

  Granny Leatherhead eyed Jake in the same way a starving family might regard their pet dog.

  ‘There must be another way,’ said Callidus.

  Jake knew there wasn’t. He was the only one who could save the ship. His pendant was worth the lives of the crew, but did it really contain the secrets of Altus? The three stones represented the three crystal moons. What about the rest of the design? Did the gold symbolise the sands of Altus? Was the swirling border important? He stepped forward, his heart heavy and his mouth dry.

  ‘I –’ he began.

  ‘Hold on,’ said Farid. ‘There’s another craft on the scanner.’

  ‘More crystal hunters?’ asked Granny Leatherhead.

  ‘No, much bigger,’ said Farid. ‘It’s the ISS Colossus.’

  Chapter 20

  Battle of the Black Hole

  The enormous warship drew alongside the crystal hunters. Its midnight blue hull was scarred with ten­tacle marks and its lights were still flickering.

  ‘What are they doing?’ croaked Granny Leatherhead. ‘Farid, see if you can tap into the crystal hunters’ communicators.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  To begin with, there was only static while the first mate searched for the right frequency, but then Kain’s husky voice rustled through the speakers once more.

  ‘. . . thank you for stopping by, but this is a private matter and none of your concern.’

  ‘I disagree.’ Jake recognised the sour tones of Admiral Nex. ‘The crew of this cargo hauler are wanted for crimes of space piracy. If nothing else, they’ve stolen a naval shuttle, which we’ve been tracking for days. You will depart this area immediately or face the consequences.’

  ‘I’m sorry, but we can’t do that.’ Kain sounded furious. ‘They have something of mine and I’m not leaving without it.’

  ‘What a pity.’

  The communicators fell silent.

  ‘What does that mean?’ asked a female voice, which Jake recognised as Jala. ‘Kain, maybe we should –’

  Without warning, the ISS Colossus attacked. Ten laser cannon fired on the crystal hunters’ ships, their powerful beams eating through the electronic shields. Within seconds, one of the ships exploded. The other returned fire, but it barely touched the warship before its hull tore open.

  ‘Did you see what they did to the crystal hunters?’ whimpered Capio, the blood draining from his face.

  ‘Good, that solves one of our problems,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘But it still leaves us trapped. Farid, how long before those moon goons are in firing range?’

  ‘Less than a minute and closing.’

  ‘Blast it.’ Granny Leatherhead activated the ship’s alarm and snatched up the intercom. ‘Battle stations, everyone! We’re about to engage a super-destroyer, but without any shields or weapons. This is about as bad as it gets. Make me proud, my Space Dogs.’

  ‘We’re going to fight?’ said Capio in disbelief. ‘This worthless old wreck against the most powerful warship in the Interstellar Navy? Are you insane?’

  ‘What would you suggest we do, you curly-haired coward?’ snapped Granny Leatherhead. ‘Stop complaining and do something useful, before I throw you into that black hole myself.’

  The ISS Colossus was bearing down on the Dark Horse, like a giant metal shark descending on a small rusty mollusc.

  ‘What are your orders, captain?’ asked Nichelle, holding the ship steady.

  ‘Turn her about.’

  ‘What did you say?’

  ‘I said turn her about.’ Granny Leatherhead’s eye narrowed. ‘We need to move closer to the black hole.’

  Nichelle twisted in her seat. ‘You want to get closer to that thing?’

  ‘How many times do I have to say it? Yes, I want us to move closer to that death trap, because I’m hoping the Interstellar Navy won’t be foolish enough to follow.’

  ‘And what if they do?’ asked Callidus.

  ‘Then we’ll give them everything we’ve got, by Zerost!’

  The Dark Horse turned back towards the black hole and allowed gravity to draw it nearer. Jake wondered how close they could get before it was too late to pull out.

  ‘We’re taking an incredible risk,’ protested Callidus. ‘How long do you propose staying here? The warship might not follow us, but it can wait out there for weeks, possibly months if necessary.’

  ‘At least that will buy us some time to come up with a plan,’ said Farid.

  Nanoo entered the bridge. ‘What going on? Scargus say we trapped between black hole and navy warship.’

  ‘That about sums up our situation,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘Why aren’t you downstairs fixing the shields?’

  ‘We finish.’ Nanoo beamed with pride. ‘Thanks to Novu technology, our shields now five times stronger. We so tough, we could wrestle kalmar.’

  ‘Five times stronger, eh?’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘That’s more like it! What about my laser cannon?’

  ‘Fully operating,’ said Nanoo. ‘Cannon packing big punch.’

  Granny Leatherhead’s single eye sparkled.

  ‘So, you’re not completely useless,’ she said, barely containing a crooked smile.

  ‘Captain,’ interrupted Farid. ‘The ISS Colossus is contacting us.’

  Granny Leatherhead picked up the communicator, as though it was a dead rat.

  ‘Ahoy, naval warship. What do you want, Nex?’

  ‘Ahoy indeed, pirate vessel,’ said the cold, venomous voice. ‘I want you to hand over the Cutler boy. Don’t waste time trying to negotiate. You’re trapped and you know it.’

  Granny Leatherhead glanced at Nanoo and smiled. ‘In your dreams, navy nutter. You’ll have to come and get us. I’d rather take my chances in the black hole than surrender to you.’

  ‘Pirate scum,’ snarled Admiral Nex. ‘It’s taken me eleven years to track down that boy and his pendant, ever since I found his picture aboard an Altian shipwreck, but I would rather see him dead than let you escape again. Prepare to be boarded, you foul space hag.’

  The communicator fell silent.

  ‘He’s bluffing,’ assured Granny Leatherhead. ‘No naval officer would be that irresponsible.’

  ‘I wouldn’t count on it,’ said Farid, tracking the warship’s movements. ‘The ISS Colossus has entered the gravity field of the black hole. It looks as though we’ll get to try out those new defences after all.’

  ‘Well, curse my cannon,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘His name should be Admiral Reckles
s!’

  The ISS Colossus was like a flying fortress, with laser cannon wide enough to park shuttles inside. But even the super-destroyer looked like a tiny speck next to the mighty black hole.

  ‘Nichelle, take us in closer,’ instructed Granny Leatherhead. ‘Circle the outer rim. Make it as difficult as possible for them to board us.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  Granny Leatherhead grabbed the intercom. ‘How’s the engine, Manik?’

  ‘It’s holding together for the moment,’ reported the engineer’s mate. ‘But we shouldn’t push our luck.’

  ‘Just keep it working. This is going to get choppy.’

  Kella gripped Jake and Nanoo tightly as the Dark Horse slid towards the abyss. Nichelle used the reverse thrusters to control the cargo hauler, steering the ship in a wide arc until it circled the black hole.

  ‘Fire up the big guns,’ instructed Granny Leatherhead.

  ‘Aye, captain,’ said Maaka and Woorak from the gun deck.

  ‘Callidus, take your mooncalf Capio and see what you can find in the cargo hold. There should be some explosives down there, possibly a few space mines. Use the airlock to launch anything that might damage the warship. Don’t hold back, lads – throw empty rum flasks if there’s nothing else.’

  ‘Aye, captain,’ said Callidus.

  ‘What about us?’ asked Jake. ‘Is there anything we can do?’

  Granny Leatherhead turned to the three teen­agers. ‘Nanoo, stand by to fix any shields or weapons that get damaged. Kella, prepare the medical bay. Jake, get yourself down to the engine room to help Scargus and Manik.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  The three of them left the bridge to attend their stations. Jake hurried down the stairs to the lower deck. He was both terrified and excited at the same time, but determined to be brave. As he reached the engine room, the captain’s voice boomed through the corridor speakers.

  ‘Prepare to fire!’

  Jake burst through the engine-room door and was greeted with flashing lights, plumes of steam and a frenzy of activity. Scargus and Manik worked frantic­ally on the roaring engine, as though trying to control a wild beast, while Squawk clung to his perch, cursing and flapping his wings.