by G J Ogden
“Hell, maybe they only got as far as buildin’ the tower before Earth Fleet showed up and chased ‘em away?” suggested Blake.
“Good theory,” said Satomi, grateful for a least one sensible suggestion from Blake, “but Earth Fleet records show we’re the first vessel to enter this system.”
“Maybe they just abandoned it anyway,” Blake continued, “They knew the war was lost so they just high-tailed it outta here.”
Satomi shrugged, “It’s certainly possible.”
“Are we at least able to decipher the signal?” asked Taylor, beginning to feel frustrated again.
Satomi shook her head. “It’s essentially just static, as if it was turned on by accident without an actual signal to transmit.”
Satomi’s last statement triggered a lightbulb moment for Taylor. As the signal hadn’t been picked up in the CoreNet previously, why were they able to detect it now? Taylor cocked his head towards Satomi, “Is there a chance this tower could have been turned on recently?”
Satomi’s eyes widened as she considered the ramifications of Taylor’s question, “Again, it’s possible,” she said, with matching intrigue. “It would explain why no-one has detected it before now. But, all we know for sure is that it’s definitely Hedalt in origin, based on the signal technology and encoding format.”
A panel on the mission ops console bleeped and Satomi jogged back to her station to check it. All eyes were on her.
“This is interesting,” said Satomi, studying the screen. “I’m detecting an opening two hundred meters north of the comms tower; it appears to be the mouth of a cave.”
“I don’t see what’s particularly interesting about a cave?” said Taylor, letting his frustrations vent out.
Satomi scowled back at him and then folded her arms tightly across her chest. “It’s not the cave that’s interesting, Captain,” she answered, stressing the word ‘Captain’ a little too aggressively, “it’s what it leads to that is. I think it may be a lava tube.”
Taylor’s eyebrows raised and eyes widened, as did Casey’s, but Blake had the opposite reaction, scrunching his face into a frown.
“Now, that is interesting,” said Taylor, sounding like a police inspector that had just uncovered an fascinating new clue. “Casey, can you take us over there to get a closer look? Slowly, please…”
“Aye, aye, Captain Taylor Ray,” sang Casey, “It would be my pleasure!”
Blake looked at Casey and then at Satomi and finally at Taylor, noting that all of them appeared to be in on a secret that only he didn’t know about. He waited for one of them to explain it to him, but it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t about to happen. Eventually, he couldn’t stand it any longer and threw his hands up in the air like an annoyed toddler.
“What the hell is a lava tube?!”
FIVE
Casey Valera approached the mouth of the cave with uncharacteristic restraint, as if she was fearful that a dragon might be lurking inside, waiting to swoop out and engulf them in its fiery breath. Everyone on the bridge felt similarly on edge, especially Taylor, who was unable to shake the feeling there was something different and perhaps even dangerous about this moon, compared to the dozens of others they’d investigated over the course of the last four years.
“Satomi, can you direct scans inside the mouth of the cave?” asked Taylor, keeping his eyes fixed on the shadowy opening, which appeared as impenetrable as a black hole. He was curious to know if there was anything beyond the mysterious opening, but also cautious of getting too close. Though it wasn’t dragons that he was fearful of, but Hedalt.
Satomi was already busily working at her various consoles, trying to build a picture of what – if anything – was beyond the veil of darkness. There was a brief delay and then she answered, “Not from here, no. For some reason, I can’t get a solid scan of anything much below the surface. All I know is that the tunnel beyond the mouth of the cave is deep, though again, I can’t get a specific reading. If you took us closer, I might have a better chance.”
Taylor sighed, grudgingly accepting the need to be a little more bold. “Okay, understood,” he replied, and then he looked over to Casey, who was already peering back at him with one eyebrow raised. “Take us in a little closer, Casey.”
“Aye, aye, Captain Taylor Ray,” replied Casey, a little more uncertainly than usual. Then she lightly pulsed the thrusters and teased the ship further towards the mouth of the cave, all the while retaining a ready grip on the controls.
“I think I’m getting something now,” said Satomi, her intonation rising a little due to her heightened anticipation. “It seems to be a power signature, but it’s faint and highly localized…” Then she hesitated, “That’s odd…”
“What’s odd?” Taylor asked, shifting to the edge of his seat and twisting to face Satomi. Her face was scrunched into a frown.
“The signature is moving…” Then, eyes wide with fear, her head jolted towards Taylor and she shouted, “Sentry drones!”
Taylor’s hand tightened around the arms of his chair and he jerked back to face the viewport, as two Hedalt sentry drones emerged from the darkness. “Take evasive action, go, go, go!” he yelled.
Casey responded instantly, shunting power into the thrusters and wrenching them away from the cave mouth. The ship soared higher into the moon’s thin atmosphere, but despite her quick action, the thud of plasma shards slamming into the hull reverberated around the bridge.
“Direct hit… minor damage!” Satomi called out, “Comm systems down… jump engine offline… there’s damage to a few other non-critical systems, but it’s okay, we’re okay!”
“Blake, you’re up,” Taylor called out, jabbing a finger towards the tactical station, “Take them down, I don’t care how!”
“You gottit, Cap,” Blake answered with a steely coolness. He worked fast, attempting to get a target lock on the drones with the turrets mounted around the ship’s hull, as Casey continued to weave a chaotic course to avoid them. He called over to the pilot’s station, “Casey, see if you can get them into the rear firing arc!”
“Sure, but…” Casey began, and it was the ‘but’ that immediately set Taylor’s heart racing.
“But what, Casey?” Taylor cut in, “I need good news, not buts!”
“That’s what the but is, Cap,” said Casey, whose handling of the controls seemed oddly laid-back, considering they were under attack. “The drones are really struggling to keep up. They should be twice as agile as a ship this size, but I’m giving them the run around easily. It’s like there’s something wrong with them.”
The viewport tracked the drones as another two flashes of plasma raced towards the ship, but Casey evaded them easily.
“What’s wrong is that they’re not destroyed yet!” Taylor answered, so far forward on his seat that he risked sliding off completely. Just then he heard the reverberant thrum of the ship’s turrets unleashing two volleys of rounds, and seconds later both drones exploded.
“That was almost too easy,” said Blake, swiveling to face Taylor, “I ain’t complainin’, don’t get me wrong, but Casey’s right; those drones should’ve been a lot faster.”
Taylor frowned and massaged his stubbled chin, before turning to Satomi, “Any other activity from the cave mouth?”
Satomi shook her head, “No, nothing more. But just to add some facts to back up Casey and Blake’s instincts, scans of the drones suggested they were operating on minimal power, like their cores had deteriorated, or their cells degraded.”
“What does that mean?” asked Taylor.
“If I had to speculate, I’d say it means they were very old,” said Satomi, “which means where they came from could have been here for some time. Perhaps even pre-dating the Earth-Hedalt war.”
“So it is just another damn ghost then,” said Blake, sounding more relieved than disappointed.
Satomi shrugged, “Maybe, but even if it is, it’s still something we’ve never come across before,” sh
e replied, but Taylor had already seen the sparkle in her eyes; the look that meant the typically prudent Technical Specialist was about to suggest something radical. “I suppose there’s really only one way to know for sure…”
Blake shook his head and wagged a finger at her, “Oh no, you can’t be serious!”
Satomi smiled back, “Why not? It’s what we’re out here to do, after all? Besides, our communications systems are down and the jump engines will need at least a couple of hours for repairs, so we’ve got nothing better to do.”
Casey was grinning like a Cheshire cat, finally cottoning on to what Satomi was suggesting, but Taylor had known from the moment she had uttered the word, ‘maybe’. He nodded at Satomi and then turned to Casey. “Looks like we’re in for a spot of cave diving... Assuming you think you’re up to it, Casey?”
“Aye, aye, Captain Taylor Ray!” beamed Casey with uncontained excitement, before she turned back the controls, practically fizzing with enthusiasm. But Casey’s gleeful murmurs were drowned out by the resonant slap of Blake clapping his hand over his eyes, and dragging it down his across his face. He didn’t feel excited. He felt like a man who’d just bet all his money on red, and lost.
SIX
Casey spun the ship around and dropped down into a hover directly in front of the cave. It was a single, seamless maneuver that was skillful, elegant and flamboyantly unnecessary. This time, however, Blake made sure that the forward cannons and turrets were trained squarely on the opening, just in case there were any more unexpected arrivals.
“It’s definitely a lava tube,” said Satomi, focusing additional scans into the mouth of the cave. Then, for the benefit of soothing Blake’s already aggravated mood – he looked like he was ready to punch something or someone – she elucidated. “A lava tube is basically a cave that forms when a lava flow hardens on the surface, but then continues to flow underneath. Once the subsurface lava flow has drained, a cave or lava tube is left behind; sometimes a pretty big one.”
Blake thought for a moment and then his eyes widened and his mouth fell open in a proverbial light-bulb moment. “Wow, hold on a second… so you’re thinkin’ it could be a cave that’s big enough to hide an outpost?”
“Yes, but not just an outpost; depending on the size of the lava tube, it’s possible that one could contain a base the size of a city,” added Taylor, feeding on the aura of excitement that now filled the bridge. “A base that’s neatly hidden from view and from our scans.”
“Speaking of scans,” Satomi cut back in, “I now understand why we can’t penetrate the surface. There’s something about the composition of the igneous rock that is essentially acting as a shield against all sensors. So while I don’t know how large this lava tube is, I’ve scanned the cave mouth and it is wide enough.”
Casey let out a sound that seemed to be part laugh, part squeal.
“C’mon guys!” said Blake, suddenly remembering why they were hovering in front of the cave entrance in the first place. “You’re not seriously considerin’ taking the ship inside?”
“Why not?” said Taylor, shrugging.
Blake almost choked. “Why not? Apart from the obvious craziness of flying into a damn cave, there could be a whole squadron of Hedalt Corvettes in there, that’s why not!”
“I don’t think so,” said Taylor, calmly. “That comms tower is just putting out static, which suggests it’s a malfunction. And those drones were relics too; just an automated response to unwanted guests. Besides, if there were really a squadron of Corvettes on the other side of that cave mouth, I’d imagine that we’d have plasma shards flying at us by now.”
“That’s a whole lotta assumptions, Cap,” said Blake, folding his arms, but then he seemed to have an epiphany and his expression softened. “But, seein’ as we’re here then what the hell. There could be some good salvage bounty in it, I guess.”
“Always the mercenary, hey Blakey?” said Casey, winking at him.
“I’m the only one here who has their head screwed on straight!” replied Blake, huffily, swinging his chair to face the tactical console again. “Unless you’ve all forgotten, I’m only out here for the money, not the company.”
Casey pouted at him, playfully, “I’ll try not to take that personally…”
“Don’t try too hard…” replied Blake with a mischievous grin, and then he cocked his head back towards Taylor and said, “I assume you’ll want me to keep the weapons armed, Cap?” He left a pause for effect and added, “Or, are ya so sure there ain’t an army of belligerent aliens through that hole that you’re happy for us to fly in with our pants down?”
“What a charming image…” Casey chirped in, without looking at Blake.
“I’m sure you’re going to keep them powered up no matter what I say,” Taylor replied, dryly. “So yes, Tactical Specialist Meade, please keep your itchy finger on the trigger.”
Blake didn’t answer and just returned his attention to the tactical console, checking rows of indicators in turn. “Forward cannons, ready; dorsal turrets, ready; ventral turrets, ready, aft turrets, ready. All weapon systems armed an’ ready to blow up whatever nasty alien bastard is in that cave, sir.”
“Thank you, Blake,” said Taylor, patiently.
Other Captains would have reprimanded Blake for being such a mouthy pain-in-the-ass, but over the last four years, Taylor had come to understand that Blake’s bravado was really a mask for nerves and anxiety – a coping mechanism of sorts – so he cut him the slack he needed. When it came down to it, Blake was a proficient TacSpec officer; one who wouldn’t buckle under pressure. Besides, Taylor knew that no-one on the ship was without their flaws and little idiosyncrasies. Regular people placed under the same conditions would have torn each other limb-from-limb after only a few months together, but the tiny percentage of Earth Fleet crew who passed for DSR missions had a forbearance and patience that that made them uniquely qualified for the job.
“Alright, Casey, take us in,” said Taylor, and then added, with considerably greater emphasis, “SLOWLY...”
“Aye, aye, Captain Taylor Ray,” Casey chirruped, without even the slightest hint of disappointment about the order to go slow. She was aware of only one other pilot that had ever attempted to navigate a lava tube, and that had been in an Emissary-class scout, half the size of the mightier Nimrod. Not only that, but the pilot had also scraped the hull against the cave wall during transit through the entrance tunnel, forcing them to abort mid-mission due to the structural damage it had caused to the ship and cave. Casey was not going to ruin the opportunity to write her name into the annals of Earth Fleet pilot history by hot-rodding into the cave mouth and botching her attempt in the same way.
Keeping the controls on manual, and maintaining a laser-like focus, Casey drew her pilot’s viewport closer and focused her gaze inside. This gave her a panoramic view outside the ship that updated in real-time as she moved her head. It was designed for use in combat operations, but was also ideal for navigating through tight spaces, like the cave mouth. She activated the forward flood lights and engaged the thrusters, edging through the opening. Taylor kept a close watch on the distance readings from the console in his chair, though he never doubted for a second that Casey could pull this maneuver off. Casey Valera was the most gifted, natural pilot he’d ever seen, as well as the kookiest. He glanced over to Satomi, who appeared calm and focused, as she always did, and then at Blake, who was coiled tighter than a cobra and looked like he’d been holding his breath for the last few minutes.
“Damn it, Blake, breathe out before you burst,” Taylor called out, which would have normally drawn a mirthful titter from Casey, but there was no reaction at all. She had already zoned everything else out, as if she and the ship were now one. Unseen to Taylor, however, Satomi glanced over at her Captain and smiled.
The tunnel suddenly narrowed, causing the collision alerts to sound and Blake’s blood pressure to rise higher, but Casey remained levelheaded, adjusting the controls with a light
ness of touch that a surgeon would have envied, and the angry alarms ceased. Blake exhaled, audibly, and a moment later the Nimrod-class cruiser exited the tunnel and emerged into the lava tube. Casey let out a long, low whistle as her navigational sensors revealed the scale of the internal structure. It was truly cavernous.
Taylor punched up all the exterior flood-lights, but the beams barely made a difference to the veil of darkness inside; it was like being in deep space, but without the comforting companionship of starlight.
“It’s reading as eight point two kilometers across at the widest point,” said Satomi, absorbed by the data appearing on her screen, “and I’m detecting metals and structures on the surface, towards the boundaries; definitely not natural.”
Taylor glanced over at Blake and their eyes met with instant understanding between them. Taylor nodded and Blake returned his attention to his console, with all traces of his former flippancy gone. When the circumstances dictated it, Blake’s senses would suddenly be primed, like drawing a sharpened blade from a dusty scabbard.
“Are you detecting any vessels or energy signatures?” asked Taylor, feeling his pulse start to quicken. There was a pause before Satomi replied, which felt like a lifetime.
“No ships, at least none on the surface or that have active power cores, but the structures are certainly large enough to be hangars that could contain dozens of Corvettes,” Satomi finally answered. “I am detecting a faint power signature; possibly the source of whatever is powering the comms tower outside.”
Taylor rubbed his stubbled chin and considered his next action. It was clear they had discovered a hidden Hedalt installation, and though the weak power source and encounter with the archaic drones outside still suggested it was a ghost – the nickname that Earth Fleet personnel gave to installations that were long-deserted – he didn’t want to take any chances.
“Take us closer to the power source, Casey,” said Taylor. “But stay alert; we may need to get out of here in a hurry in case any more of those drones show up. Or worse...”
