»Even more!« Touns grinned then clicked his tongue as he saw the analysis results on his screen.
Since all three crew members were comm-interlinked, Touns could tell the pilot the result in real time.
»Unknown object decelerates and changes vector! It’s coming at us head on! Distance 360,000 kilometers. Contact in two minutes!«
»In other words: can’t be comets and asteroids, they’re not changing course!« Berga commented dryly.
»All there’s left is a Hawk pilot’s nightmare!« Sander cursed and activated the weapon control panel. »IFF negative! You got that?«
»He’s saying, that’s not an unknown or marooned bird of the Mars Cruse Line Company, huh, huh.«
Berga gnawed on his lower lip and transferred the data to Triton Base. The transmission, however, failed. A strong jamming signal prevented communication between the Hawk and the base. The jammer was so strong it had destroyed the comm-unit.
»Damnit!« Berga cursed and looked outside through the round airlock window.
Sander opened the torpedo tubes. The Neo-Hawk was equipped with five nuclear warheads on both sides and Sander seemed willing to use them!
»Bill, we should try to get out of here. It must be one of the Circle ships. We wouldn’t have a chance in Hell!« Touns suggested.
»Tried that already,« Sander replied irritated. »Close your spacesuits and buckle up! The unknown can out-maneuver us easily. He’s coming closer! I’ll fly a hard left and then give him our full right! The other ship is marginally larger than our Hawk. Watch it, you gonna feel some hefty push-n-pull action!«
Seconds later, Touns and Berga were thrown into their seats. Both stiffened up, gagging due to the high G-forces, resulting from Sander’s desperate maneuver.
Berga stared with wide opened eyes at the scanner screen on which the approaching ship was indicated with a red marker.
»I’d give all my savings for an inertia damper!« Touns moaned, trying in vain to lift his arm.
Two small dots separated from the unknown object, heading for the scanner holo’s center region.
»We’re under fire!« Touns yelled. »Two plasma charges inbound! Get us out of here, Bill!«
Sander didn’t answer. He concentrated on his controls and flew one evasive maneuver after another. Berga and Touns felt the sudden changes from weightlessness to brutal G-forces. Touns ground his teeth and grabbed the seat’s armrests.
Suddenly, a red fireball exploded outside the starboard airlock window, blinding both men.
Touns wanted to protect his face and eyes but wasn’t able to raise his arms. Berga’s hysterical laughter seemed out of place.
»Sander … you son of a gun … you outmaneuvered the plasma ball! It missed us!« Berga screamed.
»The second one … where’s the second one?« Touns hissed through his teeth. A Moment later a flash of light occurred outside the Hawk. Sander had launched two of his torpedoes. Suddenly, the Hawk was filled with crackling sounds. The hull beneath Berga’s feet began to glow. At the same time, the entire board equipment ceased to function.
With a dull bang, the ship’s atmosphere released into space, creating a gaping hole inside the cargo bay’s side wall. Horrified, Touns gaped directly into the darkness of space!
»I … I can’t see the wings anymore!« Berga announced. »The Hawk lost its wings and the weapon pods! Good Heavens!«
»We’ve been hit!« Touns replied breathlessly via helmet-comm. »Holy shmuck! Half of the hull’s gone! Can you imagine?«
At a distance, two bright flashes took place in quick succession.
»The torpedoes! They found the target!« Berga yelled, excited. »Sander, I hope you paid them back! Sander?«
Both men looked at each other through their helmet visors and turned around, but there was nothing left to look at. The Hawk’s entire front section was missing – including Sander and his pilot seat!
Berga vomited into his helmet. The suit’s survival system immediately activated a cleaning and sterilization routine to remove and neutralize his secretions.
»Calm down, Huan! We’re still alive! Sander probably saved us and destroyed the attacker.«
Berga coughed and groaned.
»Sander is dead!« he croaked between huffs.
All of a sudden, a dark shadow covered the destroyed Hawk.
Touns’ heart stopped for a moment.
»Dear, sweet Jee … they’re still …,« Berga wanted to continue, but Touns signaled him, with a cut-throat gesture, to shut up.
Touns didn’t want to become a prisoner, ending up inside a Moxantan torture chamber. They both held on to each other to struggle against the weightlessness. They hoped that the opponent would fly away again.
The ship, however, came closer. It looked like a smaller version of the Circle battleship Blosphor! A small Frigonan ship.
»Too late, Huan. They know we’re still here … and alive!«
Touns’ hand went for the helmet release clasp, but Berga shook his head. Suicide was no option for him.
Suddenly, a female voice sounded in their helmet-comms.
»We’ll take you inside our ship now!«
Touns gasped for air.
»Who’s that?« he whispered.
»Don’t worry, we’ll rescue you,« she replied.
A bright beam of light shone upon the two men through the gaping opening in the hull and tried to pull them to the outside. Touns signaled Berga to release the seatbelts. A moment later he was pulled from his seat toward the other ship.
»Don’t resist!« he warned Berga via helmet-comm. »If you stay here, you’ll die!«
»Nobody will die,« the soft female voice said. A tat too soft, Berga found.
He opened his seatbelt by slamming his fist on the emergency release button and felt the pull of the strange energy field. He followed Touns and drifted to the outside.
»Oh, my God!« Berga shouted surprised as he saw what was left from the Hawk. All there was left were parts of the former cargo bay. The rest was gone.
A round airlock opened at the other ship.
»Well go through this together!« Touns hissed and closed his eyes as he was pulled inside the Frigonan vessel.
Goosebumps
Three ships were detected in the Neptune system in short intervals. They changed positions several times, which prompted Triton base to assume that they were scouts. Each of the ships was larger than a Hawk. They were identified as belonging to Circle battle ships, showing specific features similar to their mothership.
By orders of Nexus Tor, the Blue Moon waited in Triton’s shadow, but remained passive, ready to intercept.
The Dragon had moved away from Triton and laid in waiting.
Nok had the strange feeling that the Dragon crew was playing out a certain scenario unknown to her. She had arranged for a conference room, which the HOT was able to use as a make-shift command and control center. Ever since the team had occupied the conference room, coded data streams where exchanged between the Dragon and the Tactic-Master’s neuronal computers.
It was not evident to Nok and her staff how Batu reacted to the re-appearance of the Circle ships. The Guardian Angels prevented anybody from entering the conference room. Even Nok had no access, which made her boil. She understood, however, that Batu needed his undisturbed space.
Nexus Tor was with Nok inside the base command central and watched her attentively.
The beautiful and well-proportioned Nok Daralamai felt his glances on her neck and couldn’t really say if Tor’s glances were all job related.
Nexus Tor was also observed. Since his demonstration in the Star Hall, he had a constant spherical observer at his side. 40028 was so impressed of Tor that he followed him like a shadow.
Nexus Tor didn’t object and even exchanged whispered words with the robot, also sending a smile in Nok’s direction from time to time.
Further to the side stood Hassan Khalil who also observed the mission-commander, but in different wa
ys. It was not suspicions, rather interest which led Khalil to use his senses to examine Tor.
»We’ve detected three very fast units!« the scanner officer announced and transferred the images to the main holo. »It seems as if they’re checking out the Neptune system. One of the ships stopped close to Bachtar while another unit checked out the tachyon portal. The third ship came as close as four hundred thousand kilometers to Triton, which, evidently, is our maximum weapons range. They were probably looking for the Techno-Cleric fleet. Since we didn’t attack them, they left the Neptune system. They’re currently out of scanner range.«
Nok Daralamai took a deep breath, looked at Tor and said, »The Tactic-Master and the Techno-Cleric were correct then. The Circle Generals didn’t fly away and are still interested in Triton. They didn’t bother flying back to Earth or Titan or Mars … they came here! The question is: Why?«
Tor looked at Nok with his golden eyes.
»There might be several reasons, Ma’am. It’s the first time these Circle people have encountered massive resistance and a line drawn. Their weapons didn’t help them against the Techno-Clerics. In addition they’ve been given an ultimatum, unthinkable for them. They assume that you, Commander, possess the key to the cuckoo-gene. They’re definitely also interested in the phenomenon associated with Bachtar’s appearance. Even though they possess technological superiority, a dimensional transfer seems to be out of the ordinary for them, as much as for us, I might add. The Neptune sector is far more than just a strategic location in this solar system in their eyes, also considering the Dimensional Shield. We shall not forget the destruction of their Circle Fortress.«
Nok Daralamai pondered.
»Are you saying that these generals are taking this defeat personally?«
»It’s certainly not part of their mentality to give up conquered realms.« Tor smirked. »In this case, however, the appearance of the three ships in the Neptune sector has an entirely different reason.«
Nok pushed the fists in her sides and squinted at Tor.
»Enlighten me, Commander. I’m missing something here … you seem to have more information than I had expected.«
»You bet, Ma’am,« Tor admitted. »The Tactic-Master foresaw this move by the Circle Generals.«
»What move are you talking about?«
Nok grew impatient.
»A deception,« Tor explained. »The three ships were to catch our attention while in the meantime a unit came out of tachyon space and landed on Triton’s Northpole back side, close to the former large antenna array.«
»We would’ve detected them, Commander. Our scanner network around Titan is seamless!« she rebutted, not believing what he implied.
»Your satellite surveillance network has been long compromised since the Circle ships landed on their first visit,« Nexus Tor revealed. »My specialist on board the Dragon found the manipulations, but didn’t reverse them. That’s how we were able to get so close to Triton without detection! Do you believe me now?«
Nok grimaced as if she had bitten into a lemon.
Hassan Khalil and Nuri Jawa exchanged some quick glances. As if in a trance, he utilized his senses, then nodded at Nok.
»He’s right, they’re here! They landed undetected on Triton!« Hassan confirmed.
»Not undetected,« Tor corrected Hassan. »In fact, I ordered the Dragon to keep a distance to Triton to encourage them to land!«
»You did what?« Nok scolded him loudly. »You made a second invasion possible?«
»We encouraged them, yes … but we didn’t make it happen,« Tor corrected her calmly. »It was Batu’s idea, it’s part of his strategic plan.«
»What’s next?«
»I mentioned it already, Ma’am. We’ll master the crisis and avoid danger for Humanity.«
»Trust him, Nok Daralamai,« 40028 assured her.
Nok’s neck hair was standing up as she heard 40028’s confirmation.
Push-pull
The rhythms of the soft touches enter my brain, forming words, which I understand. The people outside need me. This makes me happy. I correlate this nice feeling with the color patterns in my head, but I’m scared. The colors seem threatening and unbalanced. I take all my strength to stabilize the templates, support them. I cannot let it happen that the chaotic colors take over like cancer cells. Oh, yes, I can destroy these structures, but that doesn’t conform with the universal laws of colors, because even this all so strange geometry has the right to exist. I need to limit them, mark their boundaries without influencing their developments. The soft patterns, which I create in opposition, develop further, as well as the aggressive forms and strange structures … continually …
Balkhanchi Batu-iin Obugtan
Welcome
Huan Berga and Gabriel Touns couldn’t believe their eyes. There were mountains of ice blocks inside the small hangar! A quick glance at his instrument convinced Touns that he wasn’t imagining it. The display showed minus thirty degrees Celsius. Long icicles were hanging from the ceiling while the entire hangar floor was covered with ice crystals. The men were struggling to maintain their balance on the slippery surface. Touns had to catch and support Berga to prevent him from falling.
»What the … what is this here?« Berga asked annoyed.
Touns looked around hastily.
»You tell me, Berga, you should know, you’re the science guy.«
Berga cleared his throat and wiped over his helmet visor.
»Frigonans prefer an icy climate, you know, those beasts that cling to Humans. We’re doomed, man!«
Touns breathed heavily and pulled his weapon.
»Where’re they? Why don’t they attack us?«
Berga also pulled his weapon and squinted.
»No idea, Touns.«
»Don’t worry, we won’t harm you,« the female voice spoke.
Touns and Berga raised their weapons, standing back to back, securing each other.
»They’re still on our frequency,« Berga remarked.
»Where are you?« Touns shouted. »Who are you?«
»Consider me as an envoy of peace,« she replied softly.
»I’ve heard better jokes. We just found out how friendly you are! You’ll never get us. The first Frigonan I see will regret it!«
»Didn’t we rescue you from the wreckage? Why are you so aggressive?« she asked with a faint disappointment in her voice. »I’ll talk to you in person. What you need is trust.«
Touns shivered. It seemed to him as if the coldness was penetrating his suit.
»Do you believe her?« Berga asked. »Don’t let her talk you in to something!«
Touns shook his head and signaled Berga to establish a cable connection between both spacesuits. Moments later they were talking to each other via polymer cable.
»They certainly didn’t convert to peace angels,« Berga heard Touns speak. »Their change of attitude seems strange at the very least. I want to find out what’s going on here.«
Suddenly, the hangar was flooded with blue light. The ice mountains, as well as the ice on the walls and the ceiling, reflected the light, creating eerie pictures. These effects produced a labyrinth of obstacles with narrow passages.
»This is creepy!« Berga looked around in wonder. »I just want to know what these bastards …«
Berga stopped talking as he noticed a movement in between the blocks of ice. A smiling, naked woman approached them.
Captivated, Touns and Berga looked at her blue-skinned, maltreated body on which several Frigonans were clinging like burs. It was very obvious how the Frigonans were holding on to her body with their pricks. However, she didn’t seem to be in pain. The closer she came, the more the men noticed the twitching and moving Frigonans.
Berga took a deep breath. He had difficulties controlling himself.
»That’s … that’s too much. Nobody can …,« he muttered.
Touns looked at her with big eyes. She used to be very beautiful. Her body was well developed, but numerous wounds from Fr
igonan stingers made her look as if she’d play a role in a cheep horror movie.
»Stay there! Don’t come closer!« Touns yelled and quickly opened his helmet to get a better view while keeping his weapon pointed at her.
He held his breath as his helmet retracted, then he took a slow, but deep breath. He had to suppress a suddenly rising cough. It felt like inhaling fluid nitrogen. He slowly breathed out and adapted his breathing frequency.
»You’ll get used to the air, quickly,« she said and came closer.
»Stay where you are!« Touns warned her again, his breath condensing in the cold air, creating a fine fog.
Strange noises sounded throughout the hangar, getting louder by the second.
»What’s that?«
The noises changed to loud, chaotic chirpings!
Countless, squirrely, prickly bodies came rolling and jumping from the ice blocks in the background. As they reached the woman, some of them climbed up her legs all the way up to her breasts.
There must be hundreds of them! Touns thought terrified.
A see of twitching moving, hedgehog-like bodies formed a protective wall around the woman.
»The ship’s crew welcomes you!« the icy beauty said calmly, which caused Touns to resign himself to the situation and lower his weapon.
We have no chance against … that! We’re as good as dead!
Calculated risks
The Dragon approached Triton at high speed and flew at a low level, about a hundred kilometers from the base, across the sharp-edged crater strewn surface. At first it appeared as if the cruiser was crashing, but the pilot had his ship under control. With flaming thrusters, the ship opposed Triton’s gravity. At the closest point to the surface, airlocks opened and a rain of specialist and materials descended to the surface.
»What’s this supposed to mean?« Nok inquired while watching the mission on the main holo. She circled the centrally installed holo display several times.
NEBULAR Collection 6 - The Great Tremor: Episodes 27 - 30 Page 4
