“Aye, sir,” Poratar acknowledged as he carried out his instructions.
“Plot the course around…” Acoth stopped for a moment thinking, “…no, plot the course direct… fastest route back to the planet…”
“Straight through, sir?”
“Yes” Acoth said with confidence, “Jhovahkan wont expect such a bold move from us with half the ships of his fleet… so, if I am right, we should have a direct path free and clear… our intelligence report indicates they are gathering their entire fleet for one final push… I am sure he expects us to surrender.”
“Jhovahkan does not take prisoners, sir.”
“That is right, Poratar… that is why it is all or nothing… we will not surrender… we will either win or be killed trying,” he said looking straight out in front of the Hawk.
Proximity sensors had been set in place and dotted all around the station. Triggering just one would set off a chain reaction of nuclear detonations not only on the station, but in the space surrounding the station in hopes that they would take out a number of ships to even up the odds when the northern fleet retreats and returns to Ackturra.
It was the hope of the southern fleet’s commanding officers to bring an all-out assault on one of the planets attack platforms in orbit. Their goal was to take back the orbiting stations, punch a hole through the planetary defenses and take back the Palace where they could gain access to the crystal caverns and obtain the power crystals for their side. They had the crystal network in place, but none of the southern captains had a power crystal to activate.
Even though they all knew the risk of claiming an infected power crystal, they knew they needed to have them in order to be able to fight back. They convinced themselves that once they overcame the northern fleet, they would abandon the focus crystals, not knowing the full potential of the Rune that would ultimately corrupt every last one of them.
Roughly thirty minutes passed and Phash returned with the team from the platform. The Southern fleet had formed up and their course was set. Their on board computers would navigate the fleet through the network of activated proximity sensors.
“The next ship that passes by any of these undetectable devices will set off the network of detonations,” Acoth said with great anticipation, “Hopefully we will take out several of the northern faction ships before they realize the trap we set.”
Acoth opened a channel to the remaining fleet, “Attention all ships… this is Acoth, commanding the southern fleet,” he said, sitting slightly forward in expectation, “Prepare to disembark this sector. You all have your orders… we shall now carry them out… move out.”
The southern fleet began to fire up their engines one by one and navigated through the network of sensors. Once they were through the minefield, they fired full thrusters and headed to Ackturra leaving the trap to be sprung. Acoth fully knew that the path he chose could run him face to face with the Northern armada; he just hoped he guessed right.
* * *
Leif Erikson
Six hours from Ackturra
Year: 2983
The Zelinite cruiser looked badly damaged and was halved in two pieces. It didn’t seem that there was any life on board but from the darkness of the derelict vessel a com signal reached Glenda’s console.
“Sir, I’m receiving a signal from one of the decks on that ship.”
Rex maintained the ships station keeping after the vortex closed. Jhahnahkan instructed Rex to move in and intercept the vessel. The Leif immediately responded by pitching down twenty degrees from its zenith and five degrees port.
“Glenda, acknowledge the signal and extend friendly greetings.” He then turned to Rex and asked for their ETA.
“Jhahnahkan,” Luanren said with a puzzled look on her face. “They are Zelinites, what makes you think they will respond friendly? It could be a trap.”
“I don’t know… what’s your take on the ship ahead?”
Chuck was first to respond. “That ship is nearly dead sir… been reading that ever since we came out of the vortex…”
Tim took over for Chuck. “It appeared nearly the same time we exited the vortex… my scans of this entire region of space is it has been affected by some sort of tachyon saturated field.”
“Computer,” Jhahnahkan said, “what is your analysis of this data?”
The computer quickly responded. “Tachyon concentration in this manner can only occur very few ways. Single or multiple reactor core explosions, or a scalar field that has been artificially created. Each event would need intervention or excitement of the tachyon partial with another energy source that could cause a momentary space-time rift, which means a mass of any size could pass quickly through. Such quantum bubbles could also attract mass to be pulled through.”
“Computer, pause,” Jhahnahkan commanded. “Glenda, have you been able to reach them?”
“No sir, their signal is very weak… only getting small bits and pieces… It sounds like a distress call… his name is Milanaka.”
Luanren’s jaw dropped at the name. “What did you just say?”
“I…I think he said Milanaka…. Yeah, that’s it.”
“That is impossible… I saw that ship explode in half… that is the ship that captured us… the ship that launched the Rune!”
Lanatek spoke up. “The ship I helped destroy…” he said stepping forward.
“Rex, increase speed… get us there… now.” Jhahnahkan said with urgency.
“You got it…” Rex said with a big smile. “Remember? I like speed!” he said as he pressed forward on the accelerator control.
“Computer, define Scalar field,” Jhahnahkan ordered
“Quantum theory explains that a Tachyon is a quantum of a field… usually a scalar field, whose square mass is negative and is used to describe spontaneous symmetry breaking. These negative particles become spontaneously unstable and transform momentarily. The normal laws that govern those particles of space-time, change from being symmetrical, to being broken and are transformed into asymmetrical patterns.”
“Computer, can you give a final analysis?”
“Affirmative… The spontaneous space-time effect that was produced by an unknown source caused the tachyon particles that had previously been flooded in this sector of space, a causality effect which interconnected all of the space-time events and pulled its mass through multiple vortices which collapsed and converged in this very sector of space.”
“Fascinating…” Rex said, slightly smiling.
Glenda turned to Rex and gave him a wink, “Fascinating? What… are you ‘Mr. Spock’ now?”
“Mr. Who?” Qiaoshan asked.
Kate smiled and answered, “Mr. Spock was from a 60’s TV show about space travel back on Earth…”
“Ah…” Qiaoshan smiled and nodded in return.
The Leif Erikson came in close to the fractured vessel and came to a full stop. The crew busily continued to scan for life signs on board.
“Sir,” Glenda said with glee, “I located the signal… he is alive but is hurt.”
“Glenda, transfer those coordinates to the shuttle bay and dispatch a rescue vessel to extract any other survivors… Tim, suit up… you’re running security detail on this one.
Tim smiled and acknowledged his captain with a nod, turned and dismissed himself to the flight deck to prepare for his mission.
“Mother, I’d like you to go with him…” Jhahnahkan said turning to Luanren.
“Me? Why would I want to help that pitiful creature?”
“You know each other… if we are to find out why this vessel is here and if this is, in fact, who launched the Rune… if it is… he knows more about the Rune and we need that information… We need him… alive and allied… at least for the time being.”
Jhahnahkan’s knees buckled but he caught himself and then leaned back into his chair. Sam had been monitoring his captain and quickly clicked into place the special collar and switched it on.
Jhahnahkan gai
ned his composure and thanked the good doctor by nodding in his direction as he returned to his command chair.
“We’re comin up alongside of her sir,” Rex informed the captain.
“Full stop! Station keeping protocols,” Lanatek ordered.
“Aye, sir,” Rex complied.
“Lanatek,” Jhahnahkan said, “Take the helm… Rex, suit up and join the others… I want my best pilot on the job.”
“Yes, sir!” Rex said as he popped up out of his chair giving his responsibility over to the first officer. He hurried down the corridor making a beeline for the shuttle bay. He thought to himself that he must be the luckiest man ever to live.
Rex quickly donned a life suite and carried his helmet in the case of an emergency. He sat in the cockpit of the rescue craft and powered on the systems and prepped the ship for its mission, then alerted the quartermaster that he was ready for departure. The rescue team was dispatched through the landing bay and entered the ship closing its door and sealing the air lock. Rex gave the final word that his ship was fired up and ready for lift off.
The shuttle bay doors opened, venting the airlock within. A swoosh of the remaining air could be heard for a few seconds, and then became silent with a cold and empty feeling.
The rescue ship took off with lightning speed as Rex masterfully guided the small craft to the rescue zone. He decided to fly down the length the Leif by the conning tower just for a good show of it before turning sixty degrees port and heading to the derelict.
He approached the second half of the two pieces that were motionlessly suspended in its current space. Rex brought her in and extended the magnetic landing struts that would be used to hold the rescue ship in place while the team entered and performed their search for survivors.
He gently rested her down in a section that exposed the interior. The twisted metal of the entrance would make entering the ship a challenge. They brought portable airlock passageways to connect the shuttle to the exterior of the dead ship. The inertia of the shuttle caused the second half to move down connecting with the first half. Rex applied thruster power to maneuver the craft and the derelict now attached by the magnet locking struts, as a whole, away from the first section.
Large pieces of debris from the impact broke off their stationary pose and drifted in all directions, spinning and twirling from the forced impact. As Rex continue to draw the two half’s to a safe distance, a large internal structure still connected, yanked and sent the other section back toward their location.
“This is rescue one,” Rex said into the com channel, “we’ve got a little situation over here…”
The Leif quickly responded, “We have you in our view and can see that,” Jhahnahkan said. “Lanatek, move us in between the two sections… Chuck, increase power to the shields.”
“Aye, sir,” they both acknowledged.
The shields rose as Lanatek maneuvered the Leif between the two derelict halves gently pushing them with the nose of the massive ship. Chuck fired a cutting laser at the section still connected to separate the two halves completely. Once they separated, they floated apart giving the rescue crew the needed break to safely open the hatch.
Rex closed the inner door, sealing himself apart from the aft of the vessel and blew the outer hatch. The air quickly escaped causing a cloud to form beyond the ship, which vanished almost as fast as it had appeared.
Luanren, the doctor, and three crew were accompanied by Tim, armed with a laser rifle, onto the outer hull. The six made their way to a tear in the metal side of the ship. Once they were all safely past the opening, they walked down a lonely dark corridor riddled with floating Zelinite crew. Their feet were held in place as they maneuvered the corridor by their electromagnetic boots. Tim pushed his way past several bodies and other floating wreckage until coming to a bulkhead.
“Here,” one of the crew said as he scanned the other side. “There is atmosphere beyond this bulkhead.”
The Second crewman removed his portable airlock equipment from his backpack. The airlock consisted of four disks that he placed with magnetic locks at each corner of what would become the entrance. He switched all of the devices on and a beam shot out of each disk connecting with each other, forming a soft shield that the crew could enter through, yet would maintain the current environment within the structure.
The third crewman made ready to cut the opening. He fired his laser cutter through the soft shield. The other two crew connected handles to the metal as it was cut and they removed the piece once it had been separated. They rested the platting off to the side and anchored it in place to prevent it from floating and becoming another hazard.
Tim entered the makeshift hatch to ensure the area was secure before allowing the rest of the rescue team to enter. Once he was satisfied all was clear, he motioned to the others through the opening to follow.
Sam was the first to enter, followed my Luanren and the rest. Now that they were in a secured section, they could remove their helmets to conserve the air supply all the while the rescue team continued to scan for survivors.
“Come on!” Sam exclaimed. “This way,” he motioned down a corridor. “There are life signs down there.”
Luanren began to recognize certain features about this eerie ship from her experience on board. “I think the captain’s dining room is down this way… this is where they were blasted when we made our escape.”
The rescue team came to a dead end but Luanren was certain that Milanaka would be on the other side of this new wall.
The crew set up to install another airlock passage when a door made itself visible and rolled up exposing the room Luanren had told them about.
The crew cautiously entered the dimly lit room finding several dead Zelinite. Milanaka lay on the floor not moving. He was holding his mate Thmmeli, in his arms. One of his arms, Luanren noticed, was stubbed.
“Yep,” she said, “that is him alright… Tamika cut his hand off during our escape.”
“Yes… she certainly did… didn’t she!” Milanaka said, raising his head slightly off the floor and then back down.
The doctor scanned all the bodies in the room and discovered two others alive besides Milanaka. “This one here…” he pointed, “…and the one you are holding sir,” Sam said, “are alive… these are the only life readings I’m getting on the entire vessel… both halves.”
“Halves?!” Milanaka exclaimed. “What do you mean by halves?”
“Your ship is in pieces, sir,” Sam explained while he continued the scans on his new patients.
“What a ride that was…” Milanaka said, slapping this forehead. “How did you find us?”
“All that in good time, my good man.” Sam replied. “We need to get you outta here and back to our ship… you need medical attention on your arm.”
“Bah! No need to fuss over that… it’ll grow back in a few days,” Milanaka said, staring at his stump. Looking up at Luanren he remarked, “You really know how to crash a party… you ruined everything you know… now I’ll never acquire the much sought after power crystal.”
“Come on…” Tim ordered, “we need to get out of here, and quick.”
“I concur,” one of the crew said. “My readings indicate that this ship is destabilizing… several more breaches have occurred and we are venting what little atmosphere we have left.”
“Everyone, activate your life suits,” Tim ordered. “Help them into their suits…”
Thakaro and Thmmeli got up off the ground and helped each other while Sam and Luanren assisted Milanaka with his. The artificial gravity that had been within this secure chamber began to fail causing the Zelinites to float. Tim connected the crew with a safety cable when the ship began to rock violently.
The com channel broke open with the voice of Rex, “You folks better get on outta there… I’m reading several small explosions a few decks below yours… Lanatek can you confirm?”
Lanatek broke in. “Yes, we have verified several small power sources have ru
ptured… the whole structure is about to break apart… recommend emergency EVAC.”
Tim led the team back out toward the exit as quick as possible. He practically carried the three Zelinites himself by the cables he had attached to them. They all braced themselves on the bulkheads as more explosions went off which shook the deck beneath their feet.
The crew eventually made their way to the shuttle and boarded her. The rear hatch closed and sealed as Rex began to power up the ships engines to prepare for takeoff. The crew pressurized their cabin and removed their helmets once more.
Rex opened the partition that separated them during their mission and turned slightly in his pilot’s chair to gaze upon their guests. “Wow… You’re some pretty rough looking… people?”
He turned back to the front and alerted the Leif that they were lifting off. He switched off the magnetic locks on the landing skids, pushed the throttle and lifted the nose high into positive zenith.
“Look out!” Luanren shouted.
“I see it…” Rex shouted in return as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He pulled the control yoke starboard seventy degrees and rolled barely missing a spinning crossbeam that had drifted from the other section, which had crossed in front of their path.
“Whew doggies!” Rex exclaimed with a huge grin. “That was somthin… wasn’t it!”
The others looked on with disbelief that this near collision didn’t seem to bother Rex in the least bit.
They quickly made their way back to the Leif, who had now moved out far beyond the derelict. The landing bay doors rolled open to accept the rescue craft and Rex masterfully landed and secured the small craft.
The com channel opened with the voice of their captain, “Meet in the conference room in fifteen minutes.”
* * *
Sector 5-2-3
Year: 2983
Space was dark, silent, and cold… but it would only take one moment of human intervention to break the silence and pierce the darkness with such a bright light that the darkness must flee. The depth and cold of space would suddenly become so hot that it could melt the strongest of metals in the blink of an eye. The screams once heard on board the Northern fleet’s carrier, the Annihilator, interrupted the silence of space at sector 523 with multiple explosions. The ship rocked out of control from the blast, which cut into the ship’s hull before they had a chance to respond.
Secret of the Crystal - Omnibus Edition Books 1-3 (Time Travel Adventure) Page 43
