by James Palmer
“Okay, but what about our vaunted spy organizations? Why couldn’t they do it?”
“In what ship? This is the only ‘Faster than Light’ or ‘FTL’ ship on Earth. We have a huge space armada, but none have ever broken the light barrier. The Cagliostro is the fastest ship known to man. It’s also one tough sucker as well. Between our shielding system, which withstood an onslaught from two powerful fleet war ships only a few hours ago, and our deck armor, we are virtually untouchable. At least for a while.”
“So does he have any idea who the spy is?” Eddie asked.
“No. He’s not sure. But he has a few suspicions.”
“So where’d these mysterious coordinates come from?”
“They managed to track a signal that was bouncing off a few of our satellites before being received somewhere in D.C. It was filtered and splashed about so that it had no real recipient that could be found. It hit a wide range of space, before it was received by its mysterious recipient. All we know is it came from the coordinates we’re going to.”
“Which is not the best news I’ve heard all day.” Eddie replied.
“How so?” Dan asked.
“Real Simple, Danny-boy, we have no idea what we are heading into. At all. This could be either a military base, a planet of space-pirates, which by the way, the concept of does not thrill me in the least. A planet of a warrior race, God only knows what else? We are really flying blind right now. We’re heading into trouble.”
“And that Eddie,” Mark began, “Is why we have to be prepared for all eventualities. Look team, we’re going to be in FTL for at least a week until we find this signal’s origin point. Everyone here has to be sharp. We’re going to be running some training scenarios over the next week. We have to be at our best, because not only am I, but the whole world as well is relying on us. We may be the Earths first, last, and best line of defense.”
“So everything is riding on us.” Red finished.
“You could say that, Red. Look, the bottom line is that someone out there set their sights on Earth for whatever reason, and we have to find out why and what for.”
“Do you think there’s an imposter involved?” Ariel asked, “You know what I mean, someone who was planted taking the place of someone high up in the government?”
“I think that’s a definite possibility, Ariel. I even have a few suspicions as to who it may be.”
“Care to share that information?” Red asked as he clasped his fists and leaned forward on the table.
Mark turned toward him before speaking, “No. I’m not going to. It’s best if only I know who is suspected and who is above suspicion.”
“Wassamatter? Don’t trust us Mark?” Eddie asked, with a crooked grin.
“It’s not that at all, Eddie, and you know the answer to that already. The reason is simple, the less people who know who is under suspicion the less that can inadvertently give that information away.”
“Like if one of us gets captured and tortured or something?” Dan Sledge asked.
“Precisely, Dan. If they come for one of us let it be me. Not any of you.”
“Very heroic Mister, but that’s a load and you know it.” Ariel barked angrily.
Johnson sighed and grabbed her hand, “No Ari, it’s not. It’s the truth. I need all of you to be able to do your jobs and I need to know you can all get me out of whatever hell hole they take me to in case I do get captured.”
“So what about these aliens? Do we know anything about them? How long have they been watching us?” Eddie queried, “I mean, up until now, all of Earth’s fleet has been stuck exploring around the solar system. Taking off for years at a time. Sure the ships have been getting faster every year, but they still take literally years to get somewhere. Your magno-disc technology is changing all that, and since this morning it’s no longer even a theory. It’s pure fact. Man has jumped to the head of the class.”
“That’s exactly what we theorize they are frightened of, whoever the mysterious ‘they’ are, that is. Now there’s suddenly competition, and it’s all coming from Earth.”
“But that’s the part I don’t get,” Eddie interjects, “Competition for what?”
“Eddie, it could be anything. Manufacturing ability, mining, science breakthroughs, though personally I can’t see them being behind us on that one. It could even be weapons design. Bottom line is we just do not know, but we are going to find out. ”
Days passed quietly enough as the Cagliostro continued on through deep space. Its magno-disc engines purring lightly as the ship soared on at speeds that only days earlier were inconceivable to man.
The command crew continued to train diligently every day for whatever might cross their paths. Still, there was an air of trepidation throughout everyone on board. Mark had held a conference with the entire crew that first evening telling them they were on a mission for the government, which was the truth anyway, and that they would be away from home for a few weeks. Subspace messages were sent to loved ones by the entire crew.
Daily, crew members lined up by fore and aft view screens, watching the stars go by in that elongated hyper-light way they now realized stars actually did look like when you were partially phased between dimensions, as the Cagliostro’s magno-disc faster than light technology actually did. Not only was this an indescribable first time experience for everyone on board, it was an incredible visual one as well. Everything was running smoothly.
Until the fourth day.
Red looked up from his display and then back down at it, immediately punching it up on the main view screen. “You better look at this Mark.”
Johnson leaned forward slightly in his chair on the ‘D’ shaped command deck “Looks like we have company. Better move us to yellow status.”
Red nodded and immediately yellow lights spun at each corner of the command deck as well as throughout the ship and for ten seconds an alert tone pinged on every deck.
Behind the Cagliostro three blips were seen gaining on them through the faster than light conduit, or hyper-warp tunnel.
“Dan, can we increase speed?”
“Uh, yeah, Mark, we’re just under halfway to full speed, as you know anyway, but yes, we have a ways to go.”
“Just checking, big guy. Bring her up two more notches and let’s see if they match.”
Sledge complied as the ship eased forward faster, immediately leaving the three shapeless blips behind them completely.
For a moment.
But then…
“They’re back, Boss.” Red informed them all.
“Let’s try this again, Dan, two more notches up to hyper-warp eight. Sledge thumbed his controls and the ship imperceptibly leapt ahead again leaving its mysterious pursuers behind, yet once more.
Minutes passed as silence coated the interior of the command deck heavily.
Finally Mark broke the overwhelming pall, “Well?”
“Nothing Boss. They disappeared.” Red replied.
“To be honest, I’m kind of finding it hard to believe they couldn’t keep up with us. I mean this is our first time doing this. I would think they’d be able to fly rings around us and leave us sucking their interstellar exhaust.” Sledge offered.
“You would think so, right?” Mark replied with a smile.
“So what now?” Eddie asked.
“Now we continue to scan as far in front and behind the ship as possible. I also think we should maintain this speed at least another six hours to really put some distance between those ships and us, if that is what we are doing.” Mark commented.
“Having doubts? Dan asked.
“As you said Danny, they should be able to catch us and leave us behind, easily. At least I would think so. Unless I’m better than I believe.”
“Is such a thing even possible?” Ariel asked almost under her breath, with a smirk.
Mark shot her a glance with a smirk of his own, then continued talking to the rest of the crew. “We don’t even know what that was. Those thr
ee blips could have been personal ships for all we know out for a buzz around the galaxy.”
“What? Like outer space joy riders?” Eddie asked, as he furrowed his brow questioningly.
“Yes, why not? We don’t know what goes on out here. It literally could have been anything. We are the new kids in the sandbox. We don’t know the rules of the game yet.”
“Uh, Mark,” Red interjected, “I don’t think this is a game, they’re back.”
Suddenly the ship rocked as a triplicate of energy blasts struck its rear hull from the just returned three vessels.
“Okay, let’s see what we have here, people. Eddie power up aft solar cannons and fire on my mark. Keep power down to forty percent for now. I don’t want to disintegrate these guys. Dan maintain speed and heading until I say otherwise, Red, shields at full power. Let’s see what we’ve got.”
“Nothing like a little trial by fire to get the blood flowing.” Red sneered, then continued, “They’re firing on us again.” Red added.
“Okay enough of that Eddie, return fire.”
“Aye, Aye Cap’n.” Eddie replied as he hit a virtual button atop his console.
Behind the big ship the three tail-like appendages glowed momentarily and then spit solar fire from their tips. Each ship was engulfed by the energy beams and immediately broke off pursuit, stopping dead in their tracks at awkward angles.
“What do we do now, Mark?” Sledge asked.
“Leave them. We don’t know if they are playing dead or not. Those blasts were only forty percent power. Truthfully if we had fired those on the War-Hammer it would have barely registered it.”
“Those were small craft though, Mark. Maybe there were one or two people aboard each.” Red replied. “I’m sure we did far more damage on those little attack fliers then we could have on something like the War-Hammer.”
“Listen people, we don’t know the rules out here. This could be the Wild West for all we know. Those ships attacked us. We are going to continue on. They dropped out of hyper-warp far behind us already. I’m not going back. They were hostile; we have a mission to complete, period. Maintain course and speed, Dan.”
“Will do, Boss.” Dan replied as the ship continued to cut majestically through space.
Chapter 3
“We cut off another day by increasing our speed when we were attacked.”
“I assumed as much, Dan. When we near our destination I want to slow this ship down outside the solar system we’ll be visiting. In fact, I want to enter that solar system at sub light and start long range scans as soon as we’re able. Look for any moons that will shield us from prying eyes, or dead planets we can maintain an orbit behind.”
“So you want to get a look-see first?” Ariel asked.
“Yes I do, Ari. This is all new to us and we are literally out of reach as far as any help is concerned. I want a full diagnostic on this ship as soon as we reach somewhere secluded.”
Dan Sledge turned towards his Captain, “Boss, everything is good. The ship’s humming like a bird. We’re good to go.”
“Nevertheless Danny, I want it all gone over. Especially engine dynamics, structural integrity and, most especially, weapons and shields. If we have to pull out of there at a moment’s notice I want to make sure everything is taken into account. No one will be coming to rescue us if things go badly.”
“Uhh, Mark?” Ariel interrupted, “You better look at this.” She punched a few buttons on her console and the view screen shimmered revealing a ship heading directly towards them also at hyper-warp speed.
“How long till we intercept it, or it intercepts us actually?” Mark asked icily.
“At the rate we are both traveling, ten more minutes. It knows we’re here too. We were just scanned.”
“No doubt it’s coming to meet us. This is probably friends of whoever was in those three ships we disabled.”
“I think that’s a safe bet, Mark.” Red replied as he went over the readouts before him, “This thing is huge too. It’s almost a mile long, and loaded with weapons. I’m getting all kinds of readings, and they do have weapons powered up as of now, shields too. They’re looking for a fight.”
“If they want a fight, I have to assume they know exactly who we are as well.”
“Are you going to try to talk to them?”
Johnson smiled, “I’ll make the effort, Ariel, but I’ll bet you lunch it’s a waste of time.”
She returned the smile and activated the controls on her console, then nodded to him. “This is Mark Johnson of the USS Cagliostro. We send peaceful greetings and look forward to talking to you. Please respond.”
Silence reigned aboard the command deck as both ships hurtled towards each other. Mark looked at the view screen first, then over to Ariel, “Resend that message one more time. I’m not going to waste my breath repeating myself.”
Ariel nodded and resent the message. The response was immediate this time and telling, as energy beams raked across the Cagliostro’s hull, setting off emergency klaxons immediately.
“Mark!” Shouted Red instantly, “That thing just dropped our shields and power levels by thirty five percent. More importantly it dropped us from hyper-warp to normal space.”
Mark leaped from his seat and hovered over Red’s control panel. “They drained our energy stores? How is that even possible?”
“You’re the engineer, boss, you tell me?” Red answered.
“Dan, evasive maneuvers,” Mark shouted, “don’t let them hit us again. Prepare to return fire at will. FIRE!”
Sledge turned the smooth lined ship in a tight arc, and flipped it over, avoiding two streams of energy that blasted space near enough to the ship to elicit rumbling vibrations throughout it.
Eddie began firing the ships solar cannons repeatedly, scoring direct hits multiple times across the hull of the much larger ship.
“Any damage?” Mark asked.
“Minor, boss. Nothing to speak of.”
As they spoke the larger ship fired again and this time they struck pay dirt, as their energy weapons seemingly exploded across the Cag’s shields and hull, sending the ship careening lopsidedly through space.
“Red!” Johnson shouted as emergency lights blinked across every console, and sirens blared.
“Shields and power down to twenty five percent.”
“Okay, time to try something different and unorthodox. On my order, fire two non-nuclear high yield missiles at that things engines, but first sweep the hull with the cannons. After the cannon sweep, activate the magno-disc powered tractor beam and pull the thing off its trajectory. Let’s see if we can shake them up.”
Eddie looked at Mark for an instant, incredulously, and then a smile began to form on his lips as he turned back towards his controls. Red nodded seriously at Mark as he turned back towards his control panel, as well.
“You’re up first, Eddie. Red, as soon as the solar cannons rake its hull, grab it with the tractor beam, and shake it hard. Eddie let those missiles fly the instant the tractor beam is fired.”
Eddie nodded and fired the solar cannons. The twin energy beams leapt from the Cagliostro’s bow, raking across the huge ship before them. An instant after they finished their sweep the tractor beam was engaged and immediately the enemy vessel seemed to buck and shake in space.
“I can’t hold this long Eddie, There’s strain on every system already.” Red shouted.
“Already ahead of ya, big guy.” Eddie DiGenovese replied, as he fired the missiles. They snaked through space unerringly on target, and then slammed into the larger ships engines, huge explosions engulfed both engines, with flames spouting all about the ship.
“Their shields are down!” Red growled
“NOW Eddie, FIRE!” Mark ordered.
Instantly Eddie fired the cannons again and again, hammering at the area already weakened by the missile strike. The enemy ship shuddered once, and then seemed to fall over to one side. It lay there dead in space, smoke and sparks peeled into the
airless void from several spots along its huge frame.
“Are we able to go to hyper-warp?” Mark asked quickly.
“Yes.” Sledge replied.
“GO!”
The ship leaped forward again, disappearing into hyper-warp.
“Forget what I said earlier, I want a status report on this entire ship before we arrive at that target solar system.” Mark barked tensely. Then he stood up and exited the command deck. An instant later Ariel followed him out into the maglovator.
“What are you doing?” She asked tensely.
“What do you think?” He replied just as anxiously. “I had to get out of there for a few minutes. That was intense! Really intense. Wow! A real space fight and we won!” He exclaimed enthusiastically as he grabbed Ariel and gripped her by her arms, shaking her as he spoke.
“What is wrong with you? We all could have died a few minutes ago. Get it together.” She replied angrily.
“I am together. I’m celebrating. This was a huge test for us all, and we not only passed, we passed with flying colors. This ship, all of us, we did great.”
She sighed, then looked at him shaking her head, “What is the matter with you? Have you lost your mind? We could be in big trouble out here. Yes, we won one big outer space dogfight, but that’s it. Plus we took some damage. Who knows when the ship will be back in fighting trim? What has gotten into you?”
“This is exhilarating, all of this. Don’t you realize we’re doing what no human has ever done before?”
“I do realize it, I also realize from what you’ve said that maybe the whole world is relying on us, and that’s a lot of responsibility. Think about that before you celebrate.”
Suddenly his visage turned decidedly stern before Mark answered her. “I have been thinking about it. Why do you think I left the command deck?”
She nodded, quietly now, and looked at him seriously, “Mark, I’m worried. This is big and I’m more than a little afraid. I know I’m not the only one.”
Johnson smiled and reached to her, pulling her towards him, finally hugging her tightly. “Okay baby, I’ll talk to the crew. Relax, we’re going to be okay, I promise.”
