by K. D. Mattis
“Comm, advise the crew to prepare for a rough ride. Ensign,” Harris said, speaking to his co-pilot, “prepare for evasive pattern Charlie Tango.”
“Sir? I’m not familiar with—”
“Improvise.”
Four rounds of enemy fire shot toward the Explorer. The pull of Earth’s gravity forced the shots off track. Each harmlessly grazed the ship.
Asher wanted to feel excitement, but knew they would learn from their mistake. When they fired again, they would plan for the gravity.
With his eyes focused on his console, Harris moved the Explorer toward the alien ship. When they fired, he and his co-pilot moved as quickly as possible. They didn’t miss everything, but they moved as fast as Earth’s most powerful ship could handle. For sixty-two seconds, the Explorer avoided significant damage.
The sixty-third second changed everything.
The aliens compensated for Earth’s gravity. When they then compensated for their enemy’s movement, nothing could stop them. Four well-aimed shots removed one of the Explorer’s two remaining thrusters.
Frantic, Gonzales shouted, “Admiral, we’ve lost main thruster two! We can’t maneuver anymore.”
“Ignore that!” Harris snapped. “We’re not done.”
All thrusters on the Explorer stopped. As the ship fell toward Earth, the bottom lit up in a terrible fire.
Asher grabbed her chair. “What are you doing?”
“What has to be done.”
“Admiral,” diagnostics said, “the hull is heating up fast from re-entry. We can’t withstand this.”
“We can for forty-two seconds,” shouted Harris.
Asher’s eyes grew wide. She trusted him, but the twitch in the corner of her mouth showed her doubts.
Following, the alien ship continued to fire at the Explorer. As the gases of Earth’s atmosphere grew thicker, the shots did less damage. The Explorer barely managed the freefall toward the planet’s surface. The alien ship performed terribly.
Stumbling, the aliens stopped firing. Trying to reverse course, their engines pushed upward with great force. The effort only slowed the fall.
“They’re caught,” Asher said, laughing. “That’s what overconfidence gets you.”
Card said, “Admiral, we have five seconds left.”
“Harris, get us out of the way.”
Straining, the Explorer moved just slightly. Using smaller thrusters at the bottom of the ship, the pilot stopped the descent toward Earth.
Slowly falling, the alien vessel almost faced the Explorer head-on. For a moment, nothing happened. The ship just continued to fall as it faced its enemy.
“What are they doing?” Card wondered aloud.
Asher had the same question but kept quiet. A small port at the front of the ship answered everyone.
A small green object shot into the hull of the Explorer. It didn’t leave a mark, but disappeared inside.
From far above, missiles and brilliantly bright projectiles rained on the hull of the alien ship. When the attack finished, the aliens were without options.
The alien vessel crashed into the planet below.
Asher pulled off her mask and jumped from her seat, joining the chorus of shouting on the bridge. But the air on the bridge grew thin. She took a few deep breaths from her mask and sat in her chair.
“Harris, ease us out of the atmosphere.”
The pilot gave no response.
“Harris?”
Gonzales glanced over at her commanding officer and friend. She let loose a scream that made Asher’s blood run cold.
The last bit of green slime forced its way into his ear and into his mind. The whole time, the pilot sat frozen, staring blankly at his console.
“Ensign, that’s enough. Focus. Get us out of the atmosphere. That’s an order.”
Feeling weak under the influence of Earth’s gravity, Asher crept up to her pilot and pulled his head into her hands.
“Harris.”
No response.
“Harris?”
No response.
“Harris, can you hear me?”
“No.”
The pilot stood and turned to face the admiral. His eyes were open and alert, but somehow lifeless.
“We told you to stay on your planet. This system belongs to us.”
Asher stared with wide eyes at her pilot. “Robert, if you’re in there, you need to focus. This is the same gel we saw before.”
“No,” Harris said. “You should have listened to us.”
Asher watched the eyes of the pilot. They stared out but didn’t seem to see. She pushed back, and her gentle tone disappeared.
“Are you from this solar system?”
“No.”
“Then you have no right to anything here. We’re not going to take orders from some visitors with a superiority complex.”
Harris continued to stare forward without focusing.
“If you and your species do not return to your planet and stay there, you will be destroyed. You cannot fight us.”
Walking around to the helm, Asher turned her back to her pilot. She talked as she worked quickly to remove the face plate of the console, pulling out several cables.
“This is our home. We won’t be bullied into giving it up,” Asher said.
“Then you will fall, and we will crush your species.”
“We’ve overcome problems before. You won’t be any different. Just one more thing.”
“You have—”
Whipping around, Asher thrust two cables into Harris’s temples. The man shook and twitched as he fell to the ground.
As he lay on the floor, Asher stood with the cables hanging loosely in her hands. When she was certain he wasn’t a threat, she knelt down beside the body of her friend.
“I’ve beaten you twice now. If you want to scare me, you need more than a creepy voice and some gel.”
Looking around, Asher noticed all eyes in the room were on her. “Comm, get a medical team in here.”
35
As the Explorer docked with the space station, Asher couldn’t resist the call of a small window on the port side of the bridge. Gonzales worked the controls with great care and precision. When the ship connected with the station, Asher didn’t feel a thing.
Outside the window, Asher could see the Protector, also docked. Melted metal dotted the hull of the agile ship. Several holes showed themselves, but none more so than the one that ran right through the center of the ship. Asher thought of the crew and wondered how they fared.
Engineers poured into the Explorer with massive pieces of equipment and machinery. Everyone wore the same environmental suit. The only thing distinguishing everyone was a small name badge on their chest.
With such limited numbers of medics, crewmen were drafted to help move and treat the injured. Asher saw some wounds were minor, bumps and bruises, but others were much more severe. Medics gave priority to unconscious men and women.
As she observed the Protector, Asher felt every pain of every crewmember in her soul. Though she didn’t hurt them, she knew her orders contributed to their suffering.
Turning back to the bridge crew, Asher said, “I want all of you to board the station. If you feel up to it, you’re welcome to help evacuate the injured.”
Ensign Gonzales was the first out of her seat. Immediately, she walked to the admiral. “Sir, I was wondering…”
“They took Harris onto the Ambassador. He’ll be in an isolation unit for the time being. You can ask the chief medical officer where he is.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The rest of the bridge crew left soon after. Each offered Asher a knowing glance. A couple offered a proper salute.
With the bridge empty, Asher allowed a single tear to swell up for her pilot.
After several deep breaths, Asher regained control. As admiral, she needed to know what happened to everyone.
Through the halls of the Explorer, she saw most of the areas in decent shape. Howeve
r, she couldn’t access the locations with the most damage. The injured crew told the real story.
The burns Asher saw on her way to the station were most startling. Not just on the badly injured, but on the crewmen aiding in the rescue efforts. Everyone on the Explorer capable of helping did so. They did so out of pride, duty, and a sense of purpose. They helped the badly injured despite their own wounds.
The second her foot touched the inside of the Ambassador, Asher heard a gentle, but loud whistle sound.
“Admiral on deck!” shouted a corpsman.
Running forward, the highest-ranking officer in the room, an older lieutenant, stopped near Asher and snapped to attention.
“At ease,” Asher said.
Relaxing, the man brushed some dirt off his collar. “Admiral, is it safe to assume you would like to speak with Captain Reynolds? I can take you to him now if you wish.”
“No. Right now I want to see everyone in command of a ship during the battle.”
The lieutenant nodded vigorously. “Yes, of course. I’ll have a corpsman escort you to a conference room. The officers will join you momentarily.”
Stepping forward, a corpsman joined Asher to act as an escort.
The room was small with a low ceiling and a plain stainless-steel table bolted to the center of the floor. Around it sat several small stools, each also bolted down.
Noticing it once more, Asher reached up and removed her mask and oxygen tank. Though recycled, the air in the room bore the fresh scent of polished metal.
Three men entered the room just moments later. All gave tired, but proud salutes. Asher returned the gesture, but quickly broke it off to wrap Commander Cole in a tight embrace.
“I thought we lost you,” she said.
To the man she didn’t recognize, Asher stepped forward and offered her hand. “You must be Commander Viktor. I’m very glad to meet you. I can’t tell you how grateful we are to have had your assistance.”
Shaking his head, the man said, “No, Admiral. My country and I are grateful to you. It was you who pushed us to prepare. I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if you did not.”
“How’s your ship?”
Viktor clenched his teeth in his strong jaw. The stubble on his chin glistened in the pale light of the room. “I am afraid that the Stalingrad will not fly again for some time. I do not know her fate or mine, but she cannot return home.”
“You and your crew will return to Earth with us.”
Commanders Cole and Gibbs stood before Asher. Covered in dirt and grime, neither spoke.
“Gibbs,” Asher said, “how is—?”
“It needs repairs, but it will survive. We have a lot of upgrades we need to talk about if it’s ever going to be used in battle again.”
“And the Guardian?”
Cole tried to talk but found himself unable. Viktor spoke for him.
“It is gone. We knew it was done for in the battle. We did what we could to save everyone, but—”
“But we lost four men,” Commander Cole whispered. “We lost four good men.”
“I don’t know how many we lost on the Explorer, but it was too many. We’ll have the actual number in a couple of hours.”
For a few moments, the group sat in silent reverence.
“The enemy?” Asher asked.
Gibbs clenched his fist and looked down at the table. “All three of the ships are destroyed. The two smaller ships ultimately destroyed themselves. The largest ship crash-landed in Brazil. Once we locked it in Earth’s gravity, it didn’t have the strength to push itself out.”
“Did it crash on a populated area?”
“We won’t know for some time. It’s deep in the rainforest, so at least it didn’t crush a city, but the Brazilian government is running a joint operation with the US military to investigate. We’ll know more once we hear back from Central Command.”
Asher stared at Gibbs as he fiddled with a tablet in his right hand.
“Gentlemen,” Asher said, “I’d like a moment alone with Cole.”
The other two commanders filed out of the room, leaving Cole staring at the admiral with curiosity.
“Have I done something wrong, sir?”
“Not at all.” Asher placed a hand on the commander’s shoulder. “I would tell you that this isn’t your fault, but that wouldn’t do any good, would it?”
“No, sir. I’ve been in the military a long time. I’ve lost men before.”
“Does it ever get any easier?”
“No.”
Asher shook her head. “Effective immediately, I’m placing you on leave. You’re going to be on the first shuttle home. I want you to talk to your family and sort this out. In two weeks, you’ll report back to me.”
“And the others?”
“They’ll go home soon. I’ll worry about them. You need to worry about yourself.”
The man couldn’t stop his hand from shaking as he shook the admiral’s hand. “Thank you, sir.”
“Dismissed.”
When Asher entered the command center of the space station, she walked straight toward the captain. Others stopped to salute her, but she didn’t notice.
For a moment, the two stared at each other.
“Captain, I don’t know how to say this.”
Reynolds reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and removed a neatly folded and sealed envelope.
“Then don’t.”
“I have to. I have a duty as your commanding officer.”
“Admiral, I disobeyed a direct order. I acted alone in this. I ordered my crew to assist. They had no knowledge of my orders and had no knowledge that I was violating them.”
“You saved our lives.”
Reynolds smiled and handed Asher the envelope. “I acted in a manner unbefitting of an officer of the United States Space Corps. As such, I immediately resign from my post and turn myself in to security. My first officer will assume my duties and responsibilities.”
Two men walked up from the ends of the room. Reynolds extended his arms to them, and they placed handcuffs on him.
Asher looked around the room. “I can’t say it, but if I could, I would thank you.”
“I did what I had to do. For every action, there is a consequence.”
Asher stepped forward to the president’s desk. She didn’t look him in the eyes as she approached.
The president stared at the young woman. “You have something for me?”
“Yes,” Asher said as she handed him a folder overflowing with papers. “Inside you’ll find my detailed report of the incident including damages, cost estimates, and estimated time to repair.”
“How many casualties?”
“Too many.”
President Krasinski didn’t press for answers.
Glancing over the documents, the president twisted his face in amusement and frustration. “You know, it seems like every time you come back to Earth, we’re basically building you a new ship when you consider all these modifications and repairs.”
Forcing a grin that faded before she could speak, Asher said, “Unfortunately, it’s necessary. If everyone had listened to my warning and the space station been armed from the beginning, not only would we not have to do so many repairs, I wouldn’t be handing you a report containing the names of so many casualties.”
“Casualties are a part of military life.”
“Maybe, but if people had taken my warning seriously, then we wouldn’t have so many. Each casualty is one we can’t afford. If they had just listened to me, I also wouldn’t have had to arrest one of my best officers.”
Even so, she watched his face cautiously, watching for any hint of anger. Seeing none, she continued.
“Mr. President, you have to understand, you didn’t give the orders that caused so much damage and caused so many injuries. You weren’t the one who—”
Holding up a hand, the president stopped Asher.
“Admiral, I was in charge. As the president, I am the
Commander in Chief for all our nation’s armed forces. Believe it or not, I do understand what you’re going through.”
“I understand that,” Asher said, “I do. But you didn’t have to look these men and women in the face as they followed your orders. You didn’t have to see them lying in pain because they followed you into battle and acted as you needed. I’ve seen too much, and I’m not sure how much I can take.”
The president stood.
“You’ll take much more. You’ll take as much as you have to get the job done. I’ve seen you and heard stories of how you act in battle. You’ll take as much as you have to because you understand something.”
“What’s that, sir?”
“The human race will always rise to the occasion. And you, unlike our enemy, are human.”
Coming Soon from K. D. Mattis
Space Corps Symbiant
Chapter 1
On the edge of the dark side of the moon, artificial structures dotted the landscape. Though large, the structures did not indicate the size of the buildings they supported beneath the dust. Several pieces of scanning equipment turned their attention to the admiral’s shuttle as it made its descent.
“This is the USSC Expedition. We are requesting permission to land.”
Only static responded at first as the scanning equipment finished its work. After several moments, a man’s voice responded in accented English. “You are cleared to land, Expedition. Follow the guiding lights into the shuttle bay. Do not exit the shuttle until you receive further instructions.”
The shuttle rocked as the reverse thrusters slowed its descent. The craft dropped lower toward the surface of the moon along a path of lights. At the end of the path was a pit with large, open doors. When the craft touched down inside of the pit, the doors slowly lowered until they closed completely and shook the small landing area.
Inside the shuttle, six armed guards checked the seals of their environmental suits. They shuffled uneasily in their seats but maintained their silence.
