“Visual scans only,” Pershing reminded them.
Not that anyone needed reminding. Ben, Kim, Magnum, Nance, and even Professor Jones were all watching various camera feeds. Ben saw the planet glowing on his screen. Another camera showed the moon rising over the edge of the world. But there was no sign of an enemy ship. He realized he had been nervous, fearful of what he might see. Aliens coming through a portal in space he had helped create seemed like a nightmare.
“I’ve got the alien ship,” Magnum said quietly. “It’s on the starboard side, heading 2-1-4.”
Kim immediately turned the Echo toward the alien ship, which was moving toward a ring of strange, red fire that marked the edges of the wormhole.
“Looks like they’re leaving,” Kim said.
“Is that the same ship that followed us through the wormhole?” Ben asked.
The alien ship appeared much larger than before—a hulking, ragged hull that seemed to have been through a terrible fight.
“It’s got more ships,” Pershing said. “That’s what they seem to be after, our technology. One of those ships is the transport the royal family was on. Major, get your team in action. Kim, once they’re clear of the Echo, I want you to move up in front of that ship.”
“Opening the rear hatch,” Nance said.
“Alpha team, moving out,” Le Croix said.
Ben held his breath and kept an eye on the life support readings. If his makeshift air lock failed, they would probably all be killed.
When nothing happened, Ben breathed a sigh of relief. The commando team was out before the hatch opened all the way.
“Alpha team is clear, General,” Le Croix said.
“Close that hatch,” Pershing said.
Ben watched as the commandos activated their jet packs that were built into their armor. Small, but powerful thrusters propelled them toward the alien ship.
“Ben, get the shield going,” Pershing said softly. “Kim, I don’t want to fight. Just bring us in view. We’re the bait. We have to keep that ship here long enough for Alpha team to complete their mission.”
“Roger that,” Kim said.
“Nance, ping that ship with active scanners. “Let’s see if we can tempt them to stick around.”
Nance complied without a word, and her reaction to the scan was surprising. She stiffened in her seat, which Ben noticed and knew wasn’t usual.
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked as he activated the flux shield. The readings on his monitor were clear as the wave generator began to spin up to speed. It wouldn’t activate the spinning shield of gravity until it was spinning fast enough to create the calm center that wouldn’t endanger the ship.
“I’m getting a strange energy reading from the wormhole,” Nance said.
“Let me see,” Professor Jones said, getting up from his console and moving over behind Nance.
“Something’s coming through?” Kim asked.
“No, that’s not right,” Jones said.
“What’s not right?” General Pershing asked.
“The energy reading is too high and too unstable for a single ship to generate,” he said.
“Which means there’s more than one coming through,” Pershing announced. “Major Le Croix, we have company inbound. Your call.”
“How much time do we have?” Luc Le Croix asked.
“Impossible to know,” Pershing said. “But it looks to be multiple warships.”
“We don’t know that yet,” Jones said, provoking an angry glare from the general.
“I can swing around and pick them up,” Kim said.
“The alien ship is slowing down,” Nance announced in her unflappable calm voice. “Looks like they’re turning about.”
“Coming for one more prize,” Pershing said.
“We’re going in,” Le Croix said. “If you can’t stick around to pick us up, we understand.”
“Good luck, Major,” Pershing said over the com-link. “We’ll do all we can to help you.”
“Copy that,” Le Croix said.
“Kim, bring us up,” the general ordered. “I want to divert attention away from the commandos.”
Ben didn’t feel the motion of the ship. The artificial gravity was constant so that it seemed almost as if the readings on his console and the images on the big display screens were artificially generated. A light came on, showing the flux shielding was up and running. Ben activated the hull sensors to give him readings on the mass of the spinning gravity waves.
“Flux shield is up,” Ben said.
“Just in time,” Kim said. “They’ve launched their grappling arms.”
“No weapons, though,” Magnum pointed out.
“They don’t want to damage us any more than they have to,” Pershing said. “They’re scavengers. Most large predators are.”
“Should we try to hail them?” Jones asked. “Perhaps start some sort of dialogue?”
“You think they speak our language?” Pershing asked. “No, they’re aliens. They wouldn’t understand us even if we were inclined to talk.”
“They’re getting close,” Ben said.
“Evasive measures, Kim. But keep it close. We want to hold their attention for as long as possible.”
“Roger that, commencing Operation Cat and Mouse,” Kim said in a mocking voice. “Let’s see what they’ve got.”
Chapter 14
Major Luc Le Croix was almost to the big alien ship, or at least one of the captured vessels that were connected to the outer hull of the alien ship. It was big, but all starships seemed huge when flying toward them through space. He checked his velocity and raised his hands.
“Alpha team, fire counterthrusters,” Le Croix said via the com-link in his battle helmet. “Prepare to swivel around and make a soft landing.”
The other commandos all clicked their mics in response. Chatter on a mission was unprofessional, and Staff Sergeant Visher’s team was the cream of the crop. Le Croix was thrilled to be out of the administrative position he’d been forced into when he lost his legs. He checked the safety on his assault rifle, making sure it was ready to fire, then activated his counterthrusters to slow himself down.
Le Croix used the computer system in his helmet to mark the entry point for the team. The ships around the hull of the alien vessel, five in all, were compromised. There were holes, and in some cases, large rents in the bulkheads of every captured ship. Two of the captured vessels were actually one large transport that had been ripped in two by the powerful alien ship, then captured separately. Le Croix guessed the ships were held in place by electromagnets as long grappling arms extended like the tentacles of an aquatic monster. He looked up and saw the Modulus Echo twisting nimbly away from the alien ship.
“Entry point is set,” Le Croix said.
“Roger that,” Staff Sergeant Visher said. “I’ve got multiple homing signals.”
“The transport must have gone into emergency mode,” Corporal Dial said. “A luxury liner like that would have escape pods.”
“Why didn’t they fire?” Visher asked.
“I don’t know,” Le Croix said. “But let’s hope they lead us to the royal family.”
The major was not the type to lead from the rear. He was the first to reach the alien ship and glided into the open section of the transport. There was no atmosphere or power left on the ship. Le Croix activated his armor’s exterior floodlights and did a quick visual scan. There was no sign of movement, so he dimmed his lights and turned back to help the other members of his team settle safely inside the vessel.
“No escape pods,” Dial said. “Those are emergency capsules for crash landings.”
“Only six in this section,” Visher said.
“Staff Sergeant, take Miller, Felix, and Roades,” Le Croix said. “Go check the other section of the transport. We’ll check on these pods.”
“How do we know if it’s the royal family?” Dial asked.
“You sure as hell don’t open the pods to find out,”
Staff Sergeant Visher said.
“Just look for signs of life,” Le Croix said. “And stay alert. We have no idea who we’re dealing with.”
“Roger that. You heard the major. Miller, Felix, Roades, with me,” Visher ordered.
“Dial, you keep watch,” Le Croix said.
His curved, metal prosthetic legs had electromagnets that held him to the floor of the captured transport. While the others clomped around in heavy boots, Le Croix was more agile, almost graceful in comparison. He moved more quickly than his team and approached the first egg-shaped capsule. There was a square control panel on one end. The capsule was sealed. The controls showed that the emergency device had power and oxygen, but no life-form readings.
He was moving to the next capsule when Corporal Amadi spoke up. “I’ve got a live one,” he said.
“Wriggles, help Amadi eject that pod,” Le Croix said.
He moved to the next capsule and looked at the controls. It wasn’t empty, but the oxygen levels were too low. Something must have happened to the air supply. Whoever was inside was already dead.
“Got it,” Wriggles said. “What do you want me to do with, Major?”
“Move it toward the opening,” Le Croix ordered. “But don’t move out with it. Not until we’ve checked all the other pods.”
“Major!” Corporal Dial called out. “Movement!”
“Where?” Le Croix said, as he dropped into a crouch and raised his weapon. He glanced around but saw no movement. “Go dark. Activate thermal imaging.”
He used his HUD to deactivate his armor’s lights and change the view screen to thermal mode. The transport was transformed into a dark shadow, with the alien ship as an orange blob that blotted out most everything else.
“I can’t see shit,” Wriggles complained.
“Use night vision,” Corporal Dial said. “Looks like we’ve got some creepy crawlies heading this way.”
Le Croix felt a sting of embarrassment. He should have known thermal imaging wasn’t the right call, but it had been a long time since he was in the field. He still had some rust to shake off. He switched to enhanced night vision, and suddenly the interior of the transport was bathed in a golden amber light.
“Sorry about that, team,” Le Croix said. “Hold your fire until we know the aliens are hostile.”
“I don’t think they’re aliens, sir,” Corporal Dial said. “They look like robots. Some sort of drones.”
“Where are they, Corporal?” Le Croix demanded.
“They’re crawling over the outer hulls.”
“Have they seen us?”
“They haven’t changed course or speed,” Dial said. “I’ve lost sight of them now.”
“Everyone, stay down,” Le Croix said. “Staff Sergeant Visher?”
“I read you, Major,” came Visher’s steady voice.
“We have incoming.”
“Roger that, we’ve seen ‘em.”
“Let’s stay quiet and still,” Le Croix said. “Maybe they’ll just pass right over.”
“Yeah, and maybe pigs will learn to fly,” Wriggles said.
“Cut that chatter, Private,” Visher threatened. “One more word and you’ll have to deal with me.”
The private first class replied with a single click of his mic. Le Croix wished he commanded as much respect, but he was the newcomer. And while Special Forces officers weren’t political appointees, his team didn’t know him yet. He was just the major with no legs to Alpha team, until he proved different. They might respect his rank, but they didn’t trust him yet. And he was anxious to change their minds.
Chapter 15
“Looks like we’ve got their attention,” Kim said. “Now what?”
“I want scans,” General Pershing said. “Do these cameras record?”
“Yes,” Nance said. “Everything is being saved into the computer system. We have radar and basic sensors, but that’s all.”
“I’ll get you updates when we get back to the Yelsin system,” Pershing said.
“Should we plot a jump point?” Kim asked.
“Not yet,” Pershing said. “We still have to retrieve Alpha team.”
“Look at the way she’s turning,” Ben said. “How do they use thrusters with other ships attached to their hull?”
“I’m picking up a strange energy reading,” Nance said. “It’s not like anything in the database.”
“How exhaustive is that database?” General Pershing said.
“Not very,” Ben replied. “But we’ve never needed it to be.”
“Let me see the data,” Professor Jones said.
“Sending it to your console,” Nance said.
“They’ve completed their turn,” Magnum warned.
“And they’re accelerating,” Kim said.
“Pretend you are making a run for open space,” Pershing instructed.
“I don’t have to pretend,” Kim said.
She pulled on the joystick and pressed her pedals forward. The Echo, which had been facing the large alien vessel, turned around and began moving away.
“They’re accelerating,” Nance said. “Their speed is increasing drastically.”
“You think they recognize us?” Ben asked.
“Of course they do,” Kim replied. “We’re the ship that got away. They always remember.”
“Let’s stay focused,” Pershing said. “What’s the distance between us and that ship?”
“Sixty-seven kilometers,” Nance said. “And they’re gaining.”
“I can go faster,” Kim said. “I thought the idea was to keep them in the game.”
“It is,” General Pershing said. “Let them gain on us for now.”
“I would guess they are using electrostatic nano propulsion,” Jones said. “Although their power source is baffling. I’ve never seen readings like these.”
“What’s electrostatic nano propulsion?” Ben asked.
“Essentially, it’s made of trillions of tiny engines that work like particle accelerators,” Jones explained. “It’s a low-energy, high-thrust concept. We’ve made prototypes, but the technology never caught on.”
“So what does that mean?” Kim said.
“It means they can probably outrun our ships,” Jones said. “They have a slower thrust, but because the energy needed to power their drives is so low, they can gain greater speeds.”
“Wonderful,” Kim said.
“It’s all theoretical,” Jones said.
“Not anymore,” Ben said. “Any word from the commandos?”
“They’re on radio silence until they’re ready to be picked up,” General Pershing said.
“So we don’t know if they’re alive or dead,” Kim said. “What if we wait for them and they’ve all been killed?”
“That’s a chance I’m willing to take,” Pershing said.
“They’ve cut the distance between us in half,” Nance said in her usual calm. “Thirty-five kilometers and closing.”
“What’s the status on our shields?” Pershing asked.
“Flux shields are up and running,” Ben said. “All systems are in the green, General.”
“Evasive maneuvers?” Kim suggested.
“Not yet,” Pershing said. “But increase your speed by ten percent. Make us look desperate to escape.”
“Won’t they get suspicious if we don’t jump to hyperspace?” Ben asked.
“I don’t know,” Pershing replied.
“Twenty kilometers,” Nance said.
“The grappling arms will be able to reach us soon,” Ben said.
Kim could hear the concern in his voice. She didn’t like teasing the aliens any more than he did. The general knew what she was doing, and Kim felt confident that she could avoid the alien ship for a while, but if they had to stick around too long, their chances would diminish sharply.
“Okay, they’re fast, but how agile are they?” Pershing said. “Turn us around. Make it look like you’re making a run for the planet.”
“Roger that,” Kim said.
She pulled back the throttle and engaged the ship’s thrusters to spin them around. They were moving in the same direction as the big alien ship, but flying backward. Kim slammed the throttle to the stoppers and dove away from the ship. The distance between them decreased very quickly, and while the alien ship didn’t try to match their turn, the extendable grappling arms reached out for them. Kim pushed her joystick to the right and angled her pedals in opposite directions. The Echo spiraled away from the alien ship.
“Nice work,” Pershing said as the Echo began to pull away from the alien vessel. “Make sure we get their turn on camera. I want to know what their vessels are capable of.”
“Why are you so sure more are coming?” Ben said. “For all we know, the energy readings from the wormhole could simply be a natural phenomenon.”
“True, but the wormhole connected us to a distant point in space,” Pershing said. “Probably in another galaxy. My ship, the Deception, was there for a relatively short time before the alien vessels arrived. Which tells me they picked up some sort of reading that drew them to us. The fact that they captured the ship is proof that we have something they want. It stands to reason that more will come looking for it. Perhaps what we encountered were simply the two closest vessels to the wormhole.”
“They’re turning,” Nance said. “They’re moving faster this time. Turning through space without loss of velocity.”
“They’re maneuvering like a fighter,” Kim said.
“A big, heavy one,” Pershing said. “That’s interesting. None of our capital ships can move like that.”
“It’s because the power needed to alter course midflight is too great,” Jones said. “The mass-to-thrust ratio is so high that our drive engines would melt down before the ships could be turned around.”
“We can still outfly them,” Kim said.
“That’s because they don’t have to maneuver like we do. They have grappling arms to match our evasive actions. All they have to do is get close.”
“And our big ships are easy pickings,” Ben said.
“The transports and spy ships,” General Pershing said. “I wonder how they would fare against a warship.”
Modulus Echo Page 7
