Space Jackers

by Huw Powell

  ‘Hello, Jake lad,’ said Scargus, tightening a valve.

  ‘The captain sent me to help.’

  Scargus threw him a metal canister. ‘You can start by topping up the coolant, before the engine overheats.’

  Jake caught the surprisingly heavy canister and got to work. The ship was shaking under the intense pull of the black hole and Jake could hear laser cannon fire. A battle was taking place and he was missing it.

  ‘When you’re finished with that, you can check the fuel cells,’ said Scargus.

  ‘Is there nothing more important I can do?’ asked Jake.

  An explosion outside rocked the Dark Horse, causing tools to escape their hooks and fly across the engine room, narrowly missing Jake’s head.

  ‘I’m sorry, Jake,’ said Scargus, wiping his brow with an oil-stained rag. ‘In a space battle, everyone has to do their bit, however big or small. We have our best pilot steering the ship and our best gunners firing the cannon. It may not be exciting down here, but the engine is essential for our survival.’

  Jake did as he was told, but kept an eye on the battle through a grubby porthole window. The Dark Horse was circling so close to the black hole, its hull skimmed the surface. Judging by the sparks and mechanical roar coming from the engine, Nichelle was using every drop of power to stop them crossing the point of no return.

  As he finished checking the fuel cells, the ISS Colossus drew level and unleashed its laser cannon.

  ‘Fire!’ shouted Granny Leatherhead through the intercom. ‘Fire, you dogs, fire!’

  Both ships spat out bolt after bolt, but most of them were knocked off target by the gravitational pull of the black hole. Time itself seemed to distort, as though the battle was being fought in slow motion. A few shots found their mark and pounded the other ship’s shields. Nanoo had not been exaggerating about the sawn-off laser cannon, which now packed a serious punch.

  Admiral Nex was so desperate to capture Jake, he was throwing everything he had at them. He dispatched six naval shuttles to board the Dark Horse, but each of them was sucked into the black hole the moment they launched, their weak engines unable to resist its pull. Then came troops in spacesuits, who were attached to lifelines and armed with laser cutters, but they quickly followed the shuttles into the black hole, leaving their cables trailing like anchors.

  Jake completed job after job in the engine room to the best of his ability, but he was unable to take his eyes off the space battle outside the porthole window. Callidus and Capio had located the high explosives, which now tumbled from the airlock into the path of the ISS Colossus.

  Boom!

  The explosives detonated, catching the side of the warship and causing its hull to dip into the black hole. A section of midnight blue metal disappeared from view, causing the super-destroyer to reduce its speed.

  ‘Good work, boys,’ said Granny Leatherhead over the intercom. ‘That got their attention.’

  Despite their different sizes, both ships were suffering now. In the engine room, more and more red lights flashed on the various control panels. Jake was sure that the engine would not hold out much longer.

  ‘Time to leave,’ ordered Granny Leatherhead. ‘Nichelle, get us out of here.’

  ‘Aye, captain.’

  The Dark Horse creaked and moaned as it attempted to break free from the gravitational pull, while the mechanical roar of the engine changed to a deafening scream.

  ‘Scargus, we need more muscle,’ said Granny Leatherhead, barely audible over the noise.

  ‘It’s no good,’ shouted Scargus. ‘We’re at max­imum throttle.’

  ‘Blast, blast and triple blast,’ she cursed. ‘We’re stuck and our shields are getting shredded. If we don’t get out of here soon, we never will.’

  Chapter 21

  Scuppered

  Jake had an idea. He grabbed the intercom off Scargus.

  ‘Captain, we have to lighten the ship,’ he shouted over the noise of the engine. ‘The pull of the black hole is making everything heavier. When Scargus threw me a canister of coolant, it flew through the air, instead of floating. We need to make the ship lighter, so the engine doesn’t have to work as hard.’

  ‘Kid Cutler, you’re a genius!’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘Listen up, everyone. If you’re not steering the ship, firing a gun or fixing something, I want you to gather any non-essential items and take them to the cargo hold, the heavier the better.’

  Capio was struggling to keep up. ‘But I thought everything was weightless in space.’

  ‘We’re not in normal space, numbskull,’ snapped Granny Leatherhead. ‘We’re caught in a gravity field, so every ounce makes a difference to our thrust.’

  ‘In that case,’ said Callidus, ‘we should ditch the naval shuttle.’

  ‘Do you know how much money we could get for that shuttle?’ protested Farid.

  ‘It won’t be worth anything if the Dark Horse is destroyed with the shuttle inside it,’ Callidus pointed out.

  ‘He’s right,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘Dump the lot.’

  Jake and the others got to work filling the cargo hold. Spare parts, kitchen equipment, cabinets, tables, chairs, even Squawk’s metal perch, were piled on top of the naval shuttle.

  Jake knew that time was running out. The ship was being pushed to its limits. He could hear the engine threatening to explode and the corridor walls buckling under pressure. If they lost power now, they would be dragged into the crushing depths of the black hole.

  ‘Stand clear,’ shouted Farid, throwing in a crate of rum and sealing the hatch.

  ‘I hope this lot smashes a window in the admiral’s quarters,’ said Capio.

  The loading ramp opened and the items toppled into space, where they were instantly consumed by the black hole. Jake felt the cargo hauler jerk forward in response, freed from the excess weight.

  ‘It’s working,’ he said, checking a porthole window.

  The Dark Horse crept steadily forward, forcing its way free from the black hole and leaving the naval warship behind them.

  ‘Why aren’t they following us?’ asked Jake. ‘Are they in trouble?’

  ‘Maybe they’re too heavy to pull free,’ said Farid.

  Callidus was doubtful. ‘Let’s not assume anything. That’s a very powerful ship.’

  A moment later, the ISS Colossus wrenched itself from the black hole and started gaining on the Dark Horse.

  ‘We can’t match their thrust,’ said Nichelle over the intercom. ‘They’re closing on us.’

  ‘Keep going,’ encouraged Granny Leatherhead. ‘We’re almost clear of the gravity field.’

  ‘It’s no good.’ Nichelle’s voice trembled with panic. ‘We’ll never make it. They’re going to ram us.’

  It seemed that Admiral Nex was determined to take out the Dark Horse by whatever means necessary. The ISS Colossus was moments away from crushing the damaged cargo hauler under its hull.

  ‘We need to go faster,’ said Jake. ‘What else can we throw overboard?’

  Farid shook his head. ‘There isn’t anything, unless we ditch the laser cannon.’

  ‘No, that would leave us defenceless,’ said Callidus. ‘Is there nothing else?’

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘Farid?’

  ‘All right, there might be something, but I’ll be skinned alive for telling you.’

  ‘We’ll die if you don’t,’ said Jake.

  Farid glanced at Kodan, who nodded.

  ‘OK, there’s a secret compartment under the stairs,’ confessed the first mate. ‘It contains three crates of heavy metals.’

  ‘What kind of metals?’ asked Callidus.

  ‘Gold bars and other valuables,’ said Farid. ‘It’s all the treasure we’ve collected over the years, and one of the crates is Granny Leatherhead’s personal retirement fund. If she finds out that I told you, she’ll rip out my heart and replace it with a palm grenade.’

  Farid led the others to a concealed hatch, where they removed
the heavy crates and dragged them to the airlock.

  ‘If this doesn’t work, nothing will,’ he said, sealing the inner hatch and activating the outer door.

  The crates tumbled into space. Jake felt the Dark Horse surge forward and they all cheered.

  ‘Hey, where did the ISS Colossus go?’ asked Callidus, checking the porthole window.

  Jake blinked at the now empty glass.

  ‘It was there a moment ago,’ said Farid.

  Kodan shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘I can still see it.’ Jake pointed to a dark patch outside the window. ‘But its lights have gone out.’

  ‘The electrics must still be damaged from the kalmar explosion,’ said Callidus. ‘And the gravity field will have drained their reserve power.’

  ‘It won’t be long before they get sucked inside,’ said Jake.

  They watched the warship sink into the blackness, like a sailing boat being claimed by the sea. A few lights flashed and flickered as the crew of the ISS Colossus attempted to restore power, but it was too late. The final sections of hull slipped from sight, lost to the gap in the stars. The ISS Colossus was gone forever.

  Nobody spoke aboard the Dark Horse, partly out of respect for the dead, but also in disbelief that they had taken on the Interstellar Navy’s most advanced super-destroyer and survived. Despite the odds, the small rusty mollusc had slain the giant metal shark. The crew would have reached for the rum in celebration, if they hadn’t just thrown it overboard. Not a sound could be heard above the engine, no explosions or laser cannon, nothing except the sound of heavy footsteps as Granny Leatherhead stomped down the corridor towards them. ‘What have you mutinous morons done?’ she shrieked. ‘That blasted black hole has swallowed my gold!’

  Farid winced, as though he was certain that Granny Leatherhead was about to make them all walk the airlock.

  ‘I’ll feed the lot of you to a kalmar,’ she fumed, brandishing her cutlass. ‘It’s taken me decades to amass that much treasure. Do you know how many shipmates died to get it? I said to dump non-essential items overboard. You should have thrown yourselves into space instead. I bet that lump Kodan weighs as much as a crate of gold.’

  Jake couldn’t really blame her for being angry – after all her life savings had just been flushed down a cosmic toilet – but before Granny Leatherhead could say anything else, Nichelle interrupted.

  ‘Minefield!’

  Jake checked the porthole window and spotted several spiked space mines scattered around the ship.

  ‘Take evasive action,’ ordered Granny Leather-head. ‘Curse that coward, Nex.’

  The Dark Horse changed direction so fast, it knocked Jake off his feet and into the air. He pulled himself back to the window in time to see the nearest mine start to move towards them.

  ‘Heat-seekers,’ snarled Granny Leatherhead. ‘And one of them is locked on to our exhausts.’

  Nichelle was a skilled pilot, but even she would struggle to shake off a heat-seeking mine.

  ‘Why don’t we turn off the engine?’ asked Jake.

  ‘That won’t work,’ said Callidus. ‘It would catch us before the exhausts cooled down.’

  The ship veered twice more, followed by the heat-seeker. Jake watched it edge nearer and nearer.

  ‘I can’t shake it,’ shouted Nichelle. ‘It’s going to hit us.’

  ‘Hold on, everyone,’ warned Granny Leatherhead. ‘Here it comes.’

  Boom!

  The mine connected with the hull and exploded, sending the Dark Horse spiralling out of control. Jake was thrown across the corridor. The last thing he remembered was a sharp pain as his head bounced off the metal wall. After that, his vision blurred and the darkness consumed him.

  ‘Hey, kiddo?’ echoed a voice in Jake’s head. ‘Can you hear me?’

  Was he dreaming?

  ‘Wake up, kiddo.’

  Jake felt something slip over his face and a cold sensation tickle his nostrils.

  ‘Come on, open your eyes.’

  Jake did as he was told, but it took a surprising amount of effort. As far as he could tell, he was aboard the Dark Horse, only the temperature was ice cold. How long had he been unconscious?

  Torches and helmet lamps danced around in the darkness. Someone adjusted the oxygen mask that covered his face. He shivered and rubbed his throbbing head. There was something wet and sticky in his hair. Blood.

  ‘Good lad, we nearly lost you for a moment.’

  The person helping him wore a dirty orange exploration suit and a space helmet with a grimy glass visor, through which Jake could see he was chewing gum.

  ‘Baden Scott?’ Jake recognised the salvage captain.

  ‘Just breathe and try not to talk,’ said Baden. ‘We were returning from the shipmaker’s on Reus, when our scanners registered the explosion –’

  ‘The explosion!’ Jake suddenly remembered what had happened. ‘Are the others OK?’

  ‘No talking,’ insisted Baden. ‘My crew is seeing to your friends. Your ship’s systems are down and there’s very little air remaining, so we’re taking everyone aboard our ship for now. Are you able to walk?’

  Jake nodded and Baden helped him to his feet. He caught his reflection in the porthole window and was shocked to see a large gash parting his matted hair. In the torchlight, his skin looked white and ghoulish.

  ‘Come on,’ said Baden, assisting him along the corridor to the airlock.

  As they passed a porthole window, Jake noticed a brand new salvage trawler docked with the Dark Horse. The name Rough Diamond III was printed on the side. Its glistening red hull was fitted with state-of-the-art solar panels and tinted porthole windows.

  ‘Nice ship.’

  Baden opened the airlock door and they went through to the Rough Diamond III. It was so clean and bright, Jake had to shield his eyes. He wasn’t used to the light, or the heat, or the artificial-gravity system. His numb fingers tingled sharply as sensation returned. Baden left him resting on a padded bench and returned to the Dark Horse. Jake waited anxiously for the rest of the crew to transfer across.

  Farid and Kodan stepped through the airlock door first. Callidus and Capio were close behind, followed by Maaka and Woorak. Nichelle hobbled into the light supported by Kella, who was clutching her medical kit.

  ‘Here, let me take a look at you,’ said Kella, noticing Jake’s wounded head. She slapped on some antiseptic lotion, which stung like burning acid. He was about to complain, when the airlock door opened again.

  ‘Make way.’ Jake recognised Kiki, the salvage crew’s pilot, who was accompanied by her shipmates, Reinhart and Gunnar.

  Scargus and Nanoo were carried on to the Rough Diamond III unconscious, their skin and clothes blackened. They were rushed to the medical bay, followed by Kella. Manik limped through the airlock door after them, holding Squawk.

  ‘We’re lucky to be alive,’ said Farid. ‘That space mine should have killed us on impact.’

  ‘It was Nanoo,’ said Manik. ‘That boy is a hero.’

  ‘How come?’ asked Jake.

  ‘He activated his personal force field at the last second. It shielded us from the explosion and contained the damage. If it hadn’t been for Nanoo, we’d all be dead now. His quick thinking saved the ship.’

  Granny Leatherhead was the last to leave the Dark Horse. Baden helped her through the airlock door.

  ‘Thank you, captain,’ she croaked, holding a bloodied rag under her hooked nose. ‘If you hadn’t come along when you did, we would be kalmar bait by now.’

  ‘No problem,’ he said. ‘Let’s call it even, seeing as I owed you lot a favour anyway.’

  ‘Me?’ Granny Leatherhead eyed him curiously. ‘I don’t recall us ever meeting.’

  ‘Well, not you personally.’ Baden corrected himself. ‘It was the Novu boy who did me a good turn. He let me have the remains of his ship, which contained some rare alien technology. I made enough money to buy this vessel and a holiday home on Reus.’

 
; ‘Is that so?’ Granny Leatherhead shot Callidus a dirty look. ‘I had no idea the wreck was worth so much. Nanoo was very generous to give it away.’

  Callidus ignored her and wrapped an emergency blanket around his shoulders. Jake knew that a new salvage trawler and a holiday home on Reus were nothing when compared with a gold-covered planet and three crystal moons. For Callidus, it had always been about Altus.

  A few hours later, everyone was feeling much better aboard the Rough Diamond III, including Scargus and Nanoo, who had opened their eyes. Gunnar helped to fix the engine on the Dark Horse, but it was only a temporary patch job to get the cargo hauler to the next service port. Baden insisted on giving them a small back-up generator in case of emergencies.

  Jake wanted to go before the salvage captain realised they were space pirates. He was surprised that Baden hadn’t already noticed the open gun ports and pirate markings. Jake was also worried that the Space Dogs might try to spacejack the Rough Diamond III if they stayed much longer.

  It turned out that Granny Leatherhead was just as keen as Jake to leave, before any more warships showed up. The Interstellar Navy would know that the ISS Colossus had been pursuing the Dark Horse when it disappeared.

  ‘Thank you once again, captain,’ she croaked, shaking Baden’s hand. ‘You saved my ship and my crew, but now we must be on our way, because we have cargo to deliver.’

  ‘Wait, I still don’t know what happened,’ he said. ‘Why were you attacked? What happened to the other ship? Does this have something to do with Altus?’

  ‘No, it’s nothing that exciting,’ she lied. ‘A bunch of spacejackers thought we were carrying crystals and attacked us. Their ship flew too close to the black hole and got sucked inside, but not before they took out our engine.’

  ‘It sounds as though you were lucky,’ said Baden, scratching his stubble. ‘Perhaps it would be best if we escorted you to the next service port.’

  ‘Thank you, that’s a kind offer, but you’ve already done so much for us.’

  Jake and the crew stepped into the airlock, followed by Granny Leatherhead. ‘Cheerio, captain, until we meet again.’