Lost In Space (Space Rogue Book 5)

by Jay Toney

  I advanced the throttles and the ship sped away from the battle. Persephone took the controls and I got out of the pilot's seat to begin repairs. The ship's AI knew what needed to be done. It dispatched two maintenance droids to inspect and repair the exterior of the ships hull. In the meantime, I would be fixing what I could from the inside. I was given a locker number that held a welder, and other tools. I removed the welder and a large keyed tool to unlock the deck plates.

  The repair was simple enough. The AI showed the areas that were damaged, and which floor plates would need to be opened. I inserted the tool into the series of locks around the deck plate and unlocked the fasteners. The first plate was unfastened and should have been easy to lift, it wasn't. It took a lot of strength, even with my cybernetic enhanced limbs. At first it resisted, as soon as the seal was broken, air flooded into the floor space and the deck plate lifted.

  The air pressure noticeably dropped and alarms sounded. I could easily see the large crack in the ships skin. I selected a patch that was large enough to cover the crack and set it in place. The amount of air that was escaping lessened with the leak covered but I could still hear the high pitched whistling sound of air escaping. I welded the patch into place, sealing the leak. The droids would make their repairs on the exterior of the hull finishing the repair. I closed the deck plate and locked it into place. That was one down and eleven to go.

  The repairs took a lot longer than I hoped it would. By the time we were space worthy and the repair droids and tools were stowed, the battle was over. I only made two kills, three if you counted the collision. I took my seat in the pilot's seat and retracted the weapons turret.

  Jazz reoriented the Prometheus and joined formation with the rest of our ships. All but six of the patrol ships docked with the carrier. Mike had salvage teams out collecting and salvaging scrap armor plating, hull plating, and anything else we could use for repairs. Our ships only had minor damage but he was planning on future needs. He wasn't the only one salvaging the wrecks. Red was also collecting weapons he could use for trade and ammunition that could be used to refill what we expended. The Vorg were patrolling the area taking care of any stragglers they found. Doc had teams of rescue pilots collecting our damaged and disabled fighters. We could repair the damaged ships but not the pilots we lost. I later learned that we lost two veteran pilots and eight novice pilots.

  I landed the Medusa, leaving the entry hatch open so repair crew could service the ship. We had the ground bases to take care of as soon as we got some rest. The attack would continue tomorrow morning.

  ****

  Demeter and Athena were both waiting for us in our quarters.

  "You dare take my daughter into battle!"

  "Mother, leave him alone. I go where he goes, you know that. Besides, I enjoyed myself. I got to do a couple loops."

  "See, I told you. He has totally corrupted our daughter."

  "Our daughter?" Persephone asked.

  "Yes, Demeter and I have decided to marry. When we marry, that will also make me your mother. Together we should be able to straighten out Nathaniel, if not, Arachne has been without a companion for far to long."

  Persephone led me to our room, where we could talk in privacy. "Nathaniel, they can not be allowed to marry."

  "I agree, but what can we do?"

  Persephone summoned Aphrodite. She appeared, looking hotter than ever in a skimpy outfit. She was practically naked. "Sorry Nathaniel, but I have learned not to cheat on my husband. Ares and I got caught the last time and were brought before the High Council. With the exception of Demeter and Athena, they all mess around, but it was still embarrassing."

  "Sis, I need your help. My mother and Athena plan to marry. I only meant for my mother to have a companion to keep her busy. She has been lonely for to long."

  "I am sorry sis. What has been done cannot be undone. That is the curse that goes with my blessing."

  "I want them to stay close, just not that close."

  "In time my blessing may lessen. Demeter and Athena were already fond of each other. It will take a very long time, thousands of years."

  Aphrodite turned and kissed me, deep and passionately. My hands found their way around her back and moved down. I returned the kiss with equal passion, my hands continued to explore her body and firmly grabbed her butt. She vanished, leaving me dizzy and stunned. I had to sit down before I collapsed.

  "Persephone, your sister in law just kissed me."

  "I saw her. I think she likes you."

  "But her kiss..."

  "Will do nothing. We are already in love with each other. She was just teasing you."

  "Then why do I feel so dizzy."

  "More like shocked, I think. Who wouldn't be after being kissed by my sister? She is even more beautiful than mother, and she likes to tease."

  Persephone undressed and climbed into bed. She held the cover open, an unspoken invitation. I undressed and joined her. We were in the middle of making love when the door opened. "Damn it! Can't the two of you knock before entering, just once?"

  "Demeter, you are right. They are worse than Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, and Ares all together. He must have her under a spell of some sort. It looks like our daughter was enjoying it. It is hard to believe they do this as often as you boast."

  "You've seen it yourself. Persephone has been hopelessly corrupted by Nathaniel. Look at their auras. They have shared more than just their flesh, they have shared their souls, more than the one time they admit."

  "It is disgusting, not to mention being forbidden. Has Zeus found out?"

  "When I shared this information with him, he laughed so hard that I thought his laughter was going to shake the Great Hall of Olympus to its very foundation."

  "Maybe I should feed him to my pet."

  "No, that would just upset Arachne's stomach. Their is nothing that can be done to cleans their souls. They are hopelessly bonded for eternity. We must try to cure them of their need to constantly share their flesh though."

  "We can castrate him, as Cronus did to Uranus."

  "He can regenerate now. Even if he couldn't, my daughter opened the healing waters of her bath to him. We must think of something else."

  They turned, leaving us alone and the door open. All thoughts of finishing what we started were gone. The two of us spent the night thinking and talking about what to do with Demeter and her consort, Athena. Our plan to give her a companion to keep her busy failed. Now Demeter had a partner to help her.

  ****

  Morning came to early. We had just enough time for a quick breakfast but not enough time to take the transport car to the shuttle bay. Persephone teleported the three of us. Jewel said her good buys and wished us luck, then she headed to her Marauder. Persephone and I boarded my Medusa fighter.

  I fired up the engines and the ship taxied to the takeoff position without hardly a thought. Persephone and I had flown the fighter long enough for then ship's AI to begin anticipating what I wanted. Half of our ships already launched and I was next. We got the green light to launch and I advanced then throttles.

  The ship took off, its engines going to full power. Persephone and I could feel the inertia dampers struggle with the G-load.

  "Damn, she's fast!" Amber said, struggling to get off the floor.

  "You shouldn't be here." I pulled back on the throttles, slowing our acceleration. After the last flight with Persephone, I wanted to experience the feeling of manual control again. The neurochip was fun but didn't have the same feel as manual control.

  "Don't even think of turning back. The three of you have been having all the fun. Both of you left me behind to wait in our quarters wondering if you were hurt or killed. I nearly died when you were late reporting back after the last flight."

  "If I didn't ground you, Doc and Miranda would have. It is for your safety and the safety of our baby."

  "And who got me this way? If you turn back I will board another ship, even if I have to use a transport shuttle, and follow yo
u."

  Amber didn't bluff or make threats. If she said it, she meant it. She would steal whatever ship she could find and use it to follow us. "Take a seat and strap in. If Doc finds out, I didn't know you were aboard." I turned back to the cockpits windscreen and advanced the throttles again and turned towards the planet.

  Our task force had twelve groups. Each group consisted of a mix of nine ships. Every group had one Viper, some had two. The rest of the ships were a combination of Marauders and Keshian fighters. Our group had the only Medusa fighter. One patrol ship was assigned to every group. We all had separate targets and would be attacking the Alliance ground forces simultaneously.

  I was assigned to the first group and raced to get into position. As soon as I caught up, I flashed the fighters formation lights, signaling the attack. All communications were silenced until after the assault began. I had no doubt that they were expecting us but they didn't know when. We still had the advantage of surprise.

  The ships in my group entered formation with me and we dove into Capernicus's atmosphere. The wings of my fighter swept back, decreasing friction and increasing my speed. I didn't know that the ship could do that. There was no control for sweeping the wing. It had to be an automatic function, controlled by either the ship's AI or the flight control computer.

  The forward shields acted as a heat shield keeping the windscreen clear of plasma and flames. The ship dove into the atmosphere, our view of the closing ground remained unobstructed. I started weaving on my way down. The ship's AI, stopped my input and smoothed the flight on our way down. It didn't seem to think evading antiaircraft gunfire was necessary.

  The MFD lit up and cycled to a menu command, ηλεκτρονικά αντίμετρα, (ilektroniká antímetra). I touched the menu selection and activated the electronic countermeasures. The ship was right. I didn't need to waste my time trying to evade ground fire.

  Amber was one of the best sensor operators I ever met. She was able to do things with the ships ECM and sensors that I didn't think was possible.

  "Amber, can you read Greek?"

  "I can barely understand Kim and Randolph when they talk very slow. Their writing is impossible."

  "I said Greek, not geek."

  She looked between Persephone and me, at the menu on the MDF. "It looks like geek to me." She wasn't going to be of any use. The ship spoke one language, Greek, and couldn't be programmed otherwise. It was unlikely it could interface with Amber and teach her Greek. Even if it could, I wouldn't take the chance that something might happen to Amber. She was far enough along her pregnancy that she could go into labor anytime.

  "I have to pee. Where is the bathroom?"

  Timing was everything and this was the worse time. I couldn't level the ship off, and things were about to get very rough. This was one of the reasons Doc and Miranda grounded her. She couldn't fit in the flight suit or the absorbent underwear that was worn with them. Persephone got out of her seat and helped Amber to the rear of the ship.

  I cycled the MDF to the navigation map and locked in our target area. A FLIR, (forward looking infrared), camera extended from the hull and the SDU, (sensor display unit), lit up with a clear view of what was ahead of us. Icons for potential threats and targets were added to the screen.

  The ground was approaching fast. It was to late to warn Persephone and Amber. I pulled out of the dive. The ship slowed and the wings swept forward, past their normal position, forming an inverted V.

  I selected the weapons menu and selected our missiles. The other two options flashed for my attention. I touched them and the plasma cannon and 40mm cannon were armed too. The ship's AI was doing its best to teach me the ships different functions as I needed them. Ideally, the ship would have a crew of three or four people, dividing the different tasks.

  Persephone returned and took her seat, securing her harness.

  "Where is Amber?"

  "She is not feeling well and is laying down on a bed. I think her baby is coming."

  "She can't simply go to sleep and wake with her baby."

  "I know, she is human and not a goddess."

  "I am going to have to turn back to the ship."

  "It is to late for that. The baby will be here long before we get back. Besides, I have Eileithyia tending to her."

  "I wanted Amber to experience childbirth without any pain."

  "Eileithyia is with her, there will be no pain, only joy. Eileithyia owes me a favor. She is personally tending to Amber to pay me back."

  We were to close to our target to continue the discussion. The ship's target acquisition computer was already prioritizing targets and adding them to its cache. My first target was an airborne fighter. I banked and turned to intercept the ship. It was to close for a missile lock, the gun sight for the plasma cannon locked onto the target, following its evasive maneuvers. I fired. Blue bolts of energy shot from our gun turret, towards the target. It wasn't destroyed. It was severely damaged. The weapons sight followed the smoking ship to the ground where it made an emergency landing.

  My next target was a weapons tower. I locked onto the target and flew towards it waiting for a missile lock. The soldiers in the tower fired at me and I rolled my ship to evade the fire. Explosions from the towers antiaircraft weapons shook my ship violently. My missiles locked onto the tower and I fired.

  I turned away from the tower and my SDU changed from a navigation map to a tactical display. Green icons representing the rest of our group came into range of the red and blue icons on its viewscreen. I locked onto the next target and headed towards it. It exploded before I could fire. Nord's laughter filled my headset.

  I cycled to my next target and fired my plasma cannon again. This time the ship caught fire and its crew ejected before the fighter exploded. Several blue icons turned green with ground targets attacking the downed pilots.

  Loud screaming, or at least that's what it sounded like came from the rear of the shuttle. It wasn't screaming, it was laughter. Eileithyia changed Amber's pain to something more pleasant. The baby was coming and Amber felt no pain. Instead it sounded like she was being tickled.

  The ship shook. We were hit while my attention was turned away from combat. Warning lights flashed for my attention. I reset what warnings I could and ignored the rest. The ship's AI dispatched a repair droid to work on the damage, which included a large hole in the ships hull. I would have to watch our altitude with Amber aboard. I should have turned back. It was to late now.

  I cycled to the next target. It was another fighter, on our patrol ships tail. Nord fired chaff and flare to confuse the fighter's missiles, but couldn't do anything about its guns. I advance the ship's throttles, the wings moved to the normal position and my fighter gained speed, closing on the enemy fighter. I couldn't take the chance of missing with my missiles. I closed the distance and fired with my 40mm cannon. The high explosive rounds blew the ship apart.

  "Looks like I owe you a beer this time," Nord laughed.

  "Make sure you get back alive and in one piece so I can collect. I have two reasons to celebrate," I laughed.

  "Two reasons? I know the first, but what else is there?"

  "Amber is having her baby."

  "How would you know that? The fleet is still on comm out."

  "The goddess of child birth let me know."

  "There is a god for baby making?"

  "There are two, Aphrodite and her son Eros. But, I didn't say baby making, I said birth. Eileithyia is with Amber. It is probably the first house call she has made in over 4000 years."

  "Closer to five," Persephone informed us, "usually she sends one of her priests instead of trending to it herself. Amber is a special case. Mother will be happy to learn that she has another granddaughter now."

  "I thought you didn't know what the sex was."

  "We all knew, we just kept it as a surprise for you."

  There were only a few red icons left in our target area. I selected my next target and accelerated towards it. It was another weap
ons tower. I spun the ship, confusing its weapons targeting and fired two missiles. This time I watched the tower erupt in a fireball. Pieces of the tower spread out for over a kilometer.

  Most of the remaining targets were engaged by our fighters. The droid was finished with the repairs. I reset the last few warning lights and pulled up, heading to space.

  ****

  I don't know who Doc was madder at, me or Amber. He had her and our daughter in a autodoc unit undergoing diagnostics. The fact that they were in perfect health made him even madder. Amber was healing and her stretch marks disappearing without the help of nanites. He reluctantly opened the unit so Amber could get out.

  "Doc, I didn't know Amber stowed away until we were over the combat zone."

  "You could have turned back after you found out she was aboard."

  "Nord would be dead and maybe others if I had."

  "Maybe, maybe not."

  "Besides, I had professional help aboard to deliver the baby this time. Eileithyia stayed with her the whole time until we landed."

  "Who is Eileithyia, another alien witchdoctor?"

  "No, she is the goddess that presides over childbirth. Who is more qualified to deliver a baby than her? Amber felt no pain this time. She only experienced happiness. In fact, she laughed the whole time she was in labor."

  "What did you name my newest granddaughter?"

  "I didn't name her. It was Amber's turn to name our child."

  We all turned to look at Amber, waiting for her to tell us the name our newest daughter.

  "Her name is Selena. She is named after the Goddess of the moon, Earth's moon."

  I was shocked. I was sure she would be named after an exquisite gem, reflecting her beauty. Our daughters eyes were not the blue or green that I expected. They were a shiny silver gray. Her hair was different too. Amber, her brother and sister all had red hair. My hair was a nice chestnut brown. Our daughters hair was pure white.