“Good,” Kim said. “How’s it going back there?”
“We’re alive,” Ben said. “But Holt threw up.”
“He’s cleaning it up,” Kim said. “I’m leveling off. Get up here. We might have trouble in orbit.”
“What makes you say that?” Ben asked, his voice carrying over the sounds of three pairs of boots banging on the metal stairs.
“Call it a hunch, but if we get caught up there, we’ll need to make a jump into hyperspace as soon as possible.”
“I’ll start calculating a trajectory,” Nance said. “Where’s the Bannyan system?”
“Belay that,” Holt said. “You can’t jump straight toward the destination.”
Ben was the first to reach the bridge. He jumped into the seat at his station and strapped in. Holt stopped beside Nance.
“I’ll set our course,” he said, moving over to the navigation console.
“Do it fast,” Kim warned. “Once we pop our heads out of the atmosphere, the Fleet will be right on top of us.”
“Where are you headed? South?” Holt demanded to know.
“That’s right,” Kim said. “Those derelict spacecraft will be the only cover we’ll get.”
“You’re more likely to crash right into one of them,” he snarled. “And you don’t even know if there are Fleet vessels in the system.”
“There’s always Fleet vessels in the system,” Kim snarled.
“You’ll get us all killed,” Holt shot back. “Are you out of your mind?”
“She’s the pilot,” Ben said calmly. “She knows what she’s doing. Trust her.”
“I trust her about as far as I can throw her,” Holt sneered.
“Watch and learn, Johnny Reb,” Kim said with a note of triumph in her voice. “Watch and learn.”
Chapter 32
Ben held onto his console as the Echo shook. It made him feel as though she might break apart. There were times when he only thought of the ship as his home. It had been in his life longer than anything, or any person and it was tempting to believe that always would be. But as Kim pushed the old Kestrel class starship hard through Torrent Four’s choppy upper atmosphere, he was acutely aware of just how old she was.
“Hold on,” Ben said quietly. “We’ve got this.”
He was talking to the ship, but Kim replied.
“Thanks, Ben,” she said quietly, her voice softened by intense concentration.
“I’m picking up multiple objects,” Nance said.
“Can you tell the derelicts from the Fleet?”
“Not yet,” Nance said. “Plotting a course through the debris field.”
“You can do that?” Kim asked.
“Affirmative,” Nance said, never looking up from her console.
Ben looked at the readouts on his own screens. The fusion reactor was a tick warmer than the last time he’d looked, but still well within the safety parameters. The life support, artificial gravity, and water plant were all in the green, just as he expected. With a tap of a button, he brought up the Echo’s engines on his screen. The two wing engines were at optimal efficiency and functioning perfectly. The main drive was another story. Despite having replaced her insulation and wind cooling system, the engine was on the border of overheating. One of the engine’s cams had suffered metal fatigue and wasn’t keeping pace, causing the main engine to function at only seventy percent of capacity.
Ben typed in some commands into his console. It would have been faster to use touch screens, or better still, voice commands, but the Echo’s tech was old school. Normally, Ben didn’t mind; he thought it gave the old Kestrel class ship character, but he was starting to see that it might cost them their lives.
He typed in an order that caused the insulation thick shielding that was designed to keep the cold of outer space from reaching the engine, to stay open for just a few more seconds. It would be the quickest way to reverse the engine’s excessive heat output. He just hoped it didn’t warp or crack any of her components.
“Almost there,” Kim said.
The ship gave one last shudder, then everything was quiet. The forward facing exterior cameras on the big displays showed dozens of decaying ships directly ahead, and beyond them was only darkness. The stars seemed incredibly far away, tiny pinpoints of light that offered no shelter or warmth.
“This is insanity,” Holt said angrily.
“No,” Kim replied. “This is the fun part!”
The artificial gravity made it seem as if the world was calm and they weren’t moving at all. On the forward screens, which showed the exterior cameras, the ship was in constant movement. Kim made the old spaceship spin and dart through the wreckage in orbit around the planet’s southern pole like a dancer.
“We have ships approaching,” Nance said.
“That will be the Fleet,” Holt said.
“One Imperium frigate,” Nance said. “And several smaller ships.”
“They won’t dare enter the debris field,” Kim said.
“And we can’t make a jump to hyperspace from here either,” Holt growled. “I told you this was a mistake.”
“Nance, can you plot a jump into hyperspace?” Ben asked.
“Working on it,” Nance said. “The ship’s computer is crunching the numbers now.”
“This old hulk is dead in the water,” Holt snarled.
“Not by a long shot,” Kim snapped in reply.
“What are they waiting for?” Magnum finally spoke up from where he was strapped into the security console’s small chair.
Ben made a mental note to replace the small seat with something more appropriate and comfortable for the big man. Of course, they would have to live long enough first.
“What do you mean?” Nance said.
“He means,” Holt said in a patronizing tone, “they may not risk flying through the old ships, but they would have no qualms about blasting them to atoms just to get a shot at us.”
“They want us alive,” Ben said.
“Just to get the load of steel alloy?” Kim asked.
“Don’t be daft,” Holt said savagely. “They want hostages they can interrogate. They want to crush the Confederacy.”
“But we don’t know anything about the Confederacy,” Nance said.
“Thank your lucky stars the Fleet doesn’t know that,” Holt said. “It’s the only thing keeping you alive.”
“Will we have time to make the jump?” Ben said. “Once we’re clear of the debris field?
“It’s going to be close,” Nance said.
“How are those calculations coming?” Kim said.
“Almost done,” Nance said.
“Does this old hunk of junk not have armaments?” Holt asked.
“We’re not fighters,” Ben said. “We didn’t join your rebellion.”
“You think the Fleet cares about that?” Holt snarled. “You should have never left the ground without weapons. We’re sitting ducks up here.”
“The best offense is a good defense,” Kim said. “I’m certain I heard that somewhere.”
“We can’t even use the escape pod in this minefield,” Holt said bitterly.
“The jump is programmed,” Nance said. “I’ve lit the launch point on your plot.”
“I see it,” Kim said.
“What about those Fleet ships?” Ben asked.
“It’s impossible to tell,” Nance said.
As if in reply, a blaze of light came shooting out of the Fleet frigate. The lasers vaporized a dozen ships spinning in front of the Modulus Echo.
“That was a warning shot,” Holt said. “We have to surrender.”
“The hell we do,” Kim said as she slammed the throttle to the stops.
The space in front of the Echo had been cleared by the blast and Kim sent the ship roaring ahead. Ben could see several attack craft lining up and moving toward them. The big Imperium ship was slowly moving closer, but Kim had the advantage. They raced forward.
“I’m getting a big e
nergy buildup from the capital ship,” Nance said. “They’re hailing us.”
“Don’t respond,” Ben said.
“We’re doomed,” Holt said, his head drooping in defeat.
“Yes!” Kim shouted.
Ben saw her hit the hyperspace jump button and then everything changed. The debris field and Fleet ships suddenly vanished, replaced by a cloudy, glowing swirl that flashed on the forward displays.
“We made it,” Nance said, sounding relieved.
“Never doubted it for a second,” Kim said, spinning her pilot’s seat around to face the others.
“You’re reckless,” Holt said. “Do you know what the Fleet does to Confederate prisoners?”
“Don’t know, don’t care,” Kim said.
“You should care,” Holt thundered away, as if in some sort of religious fervor. “They don’t just lock you up, they torture you for information. And they’re exceedingly good at it. You don’t know pain until every nerve ending is set ablaze by their interrogation devices. You can’t escape, you can’t adapt to the pain, and you can’t die. You’ll tell them everything you know, and then they’ll use you to learn how to make their torture machines even more painful.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Kim said. “We got away.”
“Speaking of that,” Ben said, shaking off the horror of what Holt had just described. “Where are we going?”
“Nowhere,” Nance said.
“What?” Kim asked.
“What she means is you can’t just jump straight toward the system,” Holt said. “Don’t you know anything? What kind of pilot are you?”
“The kind that just saved us all from being blown to bits,” Ben said. “You heard what happened to the other ship back there. The Security Force would have killed us too if not for Kim’s skill as a pilot.”
“Yeah, what was with that?” Kim said. “I’ve never heard of the Security Force using missiles.”
“Neither have I,” Holt said. “It must be a new measure.”
“How perfect for us,” Kim said. “What else aren’t you telling us?”
“I’ve been as upfront with you as possible,” Holt said. “Like you said, you’re not true Confederates. This isn’t your fight.”
“Explain hyperspace, then,” Nance said. “Why can’t we jump straight to our destination?”
“Because the Fleet can pinpoint your flight path,” Holt said. “The physics are complex, but essentially we travel in a straight line. There’s no deviating from it in hyperspace, which is why the Fleet keeps updated records of clear flight paths. We go around them, but it’s dangerous. So it’s better to make several short jumps to keep the Fleet from following us to our destination.”
“So they can mark the direction we jump,” Kim said. “And look to see what’s in our path, then follow us to that system.”
“Exactly,” Holt said. “So we’re jumping to empty space. It’s not in any system or near any of the Confederacy’s hidden bases or space stations.”
“And the Fleet would never think to look there,” Ben said.
“No, they have no way to know where exactly we are. There’s so much empty space it would take decades to canvas it all.”
“So we’ll be safe there?” Nance said.
“Yes, we can formulate the next two jumps to reach the Bannyan system and deliver the load of steel alloy.”
Ben sat back at his station, letting his heart slow down from the near panic he’d felt trying to get away from Torrent Four.
“We did it,” Kim said, looking at him. “We’re out of the Torrent system.”
“It’s hard to believe,” Nance said.
“The galaxy is our playground now,” Ben said.
Kim got to her feet, stretched, and declared that she was hungry. Magnum and Holt followed her up to the observation deck to prepare a meal in the galley. Nance preferred to stay at her station, and Ben had reasons of his own for staying on the bridge.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Nance asked.
“We won’t be able to jump again until it’s replaced,” Ben said.
“At least everything else is working,” Nance said.
“And we have plenty of fuel for the reactor. How long until we’re out of hyperspace?”
“It wasn’t a long jump,” she replied. “Half an hour, maybe.”
“Okay, I’m going to take a shower,” Ben said. “Alert me if anything goes wrong.”
“Will do,” Nance said. “Congratulations on getting this ship spaceworthy and getting us out of the Torrent system.”
“It was a group effort,” Ben said.
“I doubt anyone else could have pulled us all together and done the work you did,” Nance said. “Being in space has its own risks, but I’m glad I’m here.”
“I’m glad you’re here too,” Ben said, feeling a swell of affection for his friend. “We’re one step closer to our goal.”
“Freedom,” Nance said. “All we have to do is survive to enjoy it.”
Ben chuckled. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Chapter 33
The ship dropped out of hyperspace with hardly a shudder, but alarms sounded on the engineering control panel. Ben, freshly showered and feeling centered, was back at his place on the bridge. He had been expecting the warnings. The failing cam on the ship’s main drive hadn’t locked up completely. If it snapped, it might cause real damage, and although Ben had replacement parts onboard, he didn’t have the resources to rebuild the ship’s primary engine.
“Shutting the main drive down,” Ben said.
“What’s going on?” Holt said, storming back onto the bridge.
“I’ve got to replace the number two cam in the main drive,” Ben said.
“We’ve broken down?” the Confederate rebel asked.
“No,” Ben said. “But we’ve had our eye on that part for a while now. It needs to be replaced before we try to make another hyperspace jump.”
“And I want to run a comprehensive diagnostic check on the entire ship,” Nance said. “We’ll need at least twenty-four hours.”
“Outstanding,” Kim said. She was leaning against the wall that separated the bridge from the sick bay. “I could use a nap.”
“I’m no mechanic,” Holt said.
“No worries,” Ben said. “I work alone.”
Despite Ben’s boast, Magnum followed him down to the engineering bay. The big man still had one arm in a sling, but he was offering to help and Ben didn’t mind the company. The main drive was accessed through grates in the floor. After finding and removing the right one, Ben spent two hours carefully removing the various components that were between the grate and the camshaft.
“What do you think of our guest?” Ben finally said as he began removing the bolts that held the camshaft in place.
Magnum grunted but didn’t speak.
“He’s an acquired taste, I suppose,” Ben said. “Can you hand me that power ratchet? Thanks.”
“What’s next?” Magnum finally said.
“Next we’ll rig up a lift and pull this piece of junk out so we can replace it,” Ben said. “I should have seen the rust on it, but it has been years since I refurbished this part of the ship’s engine.”
“I mean, what do we do with the cargo?” Magnum asked.
“I suppose we’ll deliver it somewhere. I’m guessing there’s a habitable planet in the Bannyan system. I knew getting off Torrent Four would have risks, but I didn’t expect things to be so dangerous. Okay, this is ready.”
He got to his feet and went to the bulkhead where the lift controls were kept. The entire engineering bay had an overhead lift system. It was essentially a movable winch that could lift the heavier components that needed to be replaced. Ben started maneuvering the winch over toward the open grate.
“We barely touched the Zexum in the tank we got from Holt,” Ben went on. “I’m guessing we’ll have burned through a quarter of that tank’s supply by the time we comple
te the first job for the Confederacy. Hopefully, that means we’ll have the whole second tank to keep us flying until we can get more.”
Ben walked back to the grate and began strapping the cables from the lift around the cam. It would need to be lifted straight up and out. Ben had two replacement cams, but both would need to be adjusted to fit, which might take a few hours. Once he had that all done, Ben thought he might be able to relax enough to sleep. As long as Nance’s diagnostic didn’t find anything else that needed his attention.
“The key,” Ben went on talking to Magnum, who was patiently waiting and watching nearby, “is to avoid trouble. I don’t like going in blind like we did on Torrent Four. I want more control over the next operation. No matter what Holt says, we do it our way, or we don’t do it.”
“Good,” Magnum said, the word a little more than a grunt.
Over the next few hours, Ben replaced the cam and got the components reinstalled. Magnum helped him get the grate back in place, then watched the big display on the engineering main controls as Ben brought the main drive back online.
“Looks good,” Ben said. “We’ll do a full diagnostic just to be sure.”
He punched in the commands for a system check, then started to head upstairs when he remembered something.
“You go ahead,” Ben said. “I need to check one more thing.”
Magnum turned and looked at the smaller man, but Ben waved him on. It was strange to think that without Magnum, they wouldn’t have made it off Torrent Four. Not only had the big man saved Ben’s life multiple times, he had held off the Scalpers, who would have taken the ship before they ever got off the ground. That thought made Ben shudder. His entire life he had feared and hated the Salvage Scalpers. To think they could no longer harm him or steal from him or intimidate him was staggering. He was off Torrent Four and would never return. The lives of the junk diggers seemed small and inconsequential to him from space. The salvage yards had been his whole world, and the stars seemed out of reach. All that had changed, almost before he realized it. The junk fields were gone, almost as if they had never existed. He would never see them again. To Ben, they were memories, and his future seemed bright.
He walked back over to the maintenance closet where some of the larger tools were kept. There was a reinforced cabinet where the second tank of Zexum had been stored. Ben turned on the light in the small room, opened the cabinet, and screwed a small device to the top of the tank outlet. The device had a simplistic digital readout on the amount of gas inside the tank: 98%. The display wasn’t large or sophisticated enough to spell out what was inside. Instead, it gave a chemical formula that corresponded with the gas’s elemental number: CH4.
Kestrel Class Page 16
